Four Years Later
by EagleRay
Summary: So, let's face it. The World's villains can't fight Kim Possible forever. So what happens four years after she's retired? Rated M for later chapters slash warning, but mostly fluff
1. The World Four Years Later

**Summary**: Well...Lets just say the combined forces of Team Possible and Global Justice finally managed to either take down the world's villains or force them into retirement. After she was out of enemies, Kim Possible retired. That was four years ago, but now the fates are conspiring to pull Kim Possible back into the world she left. Read on to see the rest.

**Disclaimer**: Okay, we all know the drill. I don't own Kim Possible, her friends, her relatives, her wicked-cool gadgets, her house, her Pandaroo, her enemies, etc... I also don't own any major fast food chains. Maritime folk music groups or any such other products that can be found for sale in any corner store or on the street. I am just a student and have no money, so please don't sue me. I've tried to cover my bases.

**General tips**: My advice is to just take it all as it comes. When I started, my knowledge of the KP-verse was flaky at best.

**Warning**: Although there may be no hint of it now, this story _will_ eventually be slash (girl/girl relationship). I don't foresee any kind of blatantly sexual scenes, so we'll just keep it at that. More fluff than sex, which is just what I'm able to write. Sorry perverts, there will be no bed-scenes here unless their just talking under the covers...hee hee...

Now, onto the chaos that is "Four Years Later."

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

After a hard day's work at Tim Hortons, all Kimberly-Anne Possible wanted to do was curl up on her couch with a good book.

Throughout the ten-minute drive home, as always, the twenty-one year-old redhead's thoughts turned to her own life and how it had changed in the past four years. So, to the calm melody of her favourite Great Big Sea song, she began to reflect on her life, the choices she'd made, and how those decisions had led her here.

Four years ago, she had been _Kim Possible_ – professional crime fighter, high school student, and captain of the cheerleader squad. She had stood toe-to-toe with the best in diabolical nefariousness without flinching. Her team's work had halted hundreds of attempts at both world domination and manufactured global destruction. Ron Stoppable, Kim, Wade, and Ron's pet naked mole-rat Rufus had risked their lives to save the Earth from futures that were certain to be dark.

But all things must come to an end.

Kim had learned from experience that no matter how brilliant a mad scientist could be, he would always inevitably make mistakes. While Kim had been off globe-trotting, keeping the villains of the world on the run, Global Justice had secretly been building a detention centre for the…exceptionally gifted psychopaths. Then, one-by-one, Kim's enemies had each been convicted and sentenced to life in the Global Justice Detention Centre. Slowly but surely, the most dangerous of the super-villains had ended up off the radar, so to speak, either by capture by Kim or by retirement.

After a while, Kim had realized that her list of villains-on-the-loose had suddenly grown shorter, to the point that it was nonexistent. Essentially, Kim had found that she was out of a job, since no criminal masterminds were left to be caught. There was the odd large-scale bank heist, but it wasn't nearly the same as trading blows and banter with her nemesis.

So, Kim Possible had retired.

After hanging up their hero-going equipment, Ron, Kim, and Wade had gradually gone their separate ways. Ron had stayed in Middleton and applied to a nearby college. Wade had finally left his room and moved out of town to go to M.I.T., studying some kind of computer engineering. And. Kim had allowed herself to follow one of her secret dreams and moved to Canada so she could attend Concordia University and study Theatre.

She hadn't seen or spoken to her former team-mates in over two years, but she rarely regretted it. Her life _was_ lonely at times. She had made some friends up here, but every once in a while, she found herself missing her old life – the adrenaline rush of running for her life, the satisfaction of saving the world, the camaraderie she had shared with her team…

Of course, this didn't mean that she was incapable of having fun without them.

Now, as always, Kim's thoughts turned to the one super-villain that had thus far eluded Global Justice. Dr Drakken had been a dangerous foe, concocting incredibly grandiose plots for world domination. The scope of his plans had been equalled only by his inability to see one from conception to fruition. His schemes had always had a tendency to blow up in his face. In the end, however, the most dangerous villain by far had been Drakken's mercenary sidekick:

_Shego._

Kim sighed as she pulled up to a red light. After the six months it took to round up the major players like Duff Killigan, Senor Senior Senior, and his son Senor Senior Junior, Kim had tracked down Dr Drakken and Shego. Working carefully, Kim had infiltrated the blue-skinned scientist's most recent lair, not only to find that Shego had seen her coming, and ditched her employer, but that she had also beaten Drakken senseless for no apparent reason. With all four of his limbs broken, and without his volatile sidekick and bodyguard by his side, Drakken's capture had been all too easy to accomplish.

And just like that, Kim's career as a globe-trotting heroine had come to an end.

Sighing again, Kim pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building and made her way to her spot, exiting her bright green Honda Civic.

For a few months, Kim had kept her ear to the ground for any sign of Shego, her only equal in this world of heroes and villains. At first, Kim had thought that the raven-haired woman had gone independent, a far more dangerous prospect than her work for Drakken. It wasn't well known, but Kim knew that working for Drakken had slowed Shego down – held her back. Kim had initially thought that the villain was simply waiting for the world to calm down before making her grand return to the scene.

The longer time went on, however, the more it seemed that the raven-haired villainess had completely disappeared. If she was doing anything illegal or diabolical, it was either so far below the radar that it escaped notice, or she was being incredibly sneaky about it.

But no matter…Part of Kim had been relieved when it was finally over and she could finally get herself a life. She'd had enough brushes with death and loss of limb for a dozen lifetimes. She felt that her Mom had been relieved beyond words that she had retired. One of her first steps to getting a normal life had been to get as far away from Bonnie Rockwaller as possible. Bonnie had been Kim's nemesis in the hallways of Middleton High. The word was that she had planned to go to a dance school in Florida, so Kim had gone North…to Canada.

Kim climbed out of her car and stood still for a second before reaching into the backseat to grab her black-and-green knapsack, a smaller version of her giant hiking pack. Today had been her last day of work at Tim Hortons. After six months of part-time work and full-time school, she had decided it was time to relax a little. She had more than enough money to see her through several years of school, and then some. Although her work as a crime-stopper had been largely pro bono, for the thrill of the chase, many of the people, countries, and corporations had felt that they owed her something, and had donated something to the cause. The sum of all this generosity had afforded Kim the ability to live quite freely with her finances.

Besides, it would soon be summer vacation, and no girl wanted to work all summer.

Walking into the apartment building, Kim looked around at the bare walls of the lobby, and the hard pine benches that dotted the walls. This said it all. While not a five-star hotel, Kim's home wasn't a sleazy motel either; it was neither fancy nor sleazy. It simply served her purposes: Eating, living, and sleeping. It was all she needed at this point in her life. There were…other places she could perform the other needs of her way of life.

Kim walked five steps across the plain, white-tiled floor before noticing the smell.

It was the faint scent of leather, mixed with a stronger element of – what – lilies? There was something oddly familiar about that odour, but Kim couldn't pinpoint it. It seemed like that smell had appeared every so often in the last two or three months as she had gone about her daily routine. This was the first time she'd detected it in her apartment building, however, and Kim had no idea how to take in this new information. Someone _had_ recently moved into the building, so maybe they used a strange, but not unpleasant perfume.

Kim shrugged it off and walked to the elevator. The building was small enough that it needed only one.

Right when she was about to hit the call button, Kim decided to pass up the easy way, and pushed open the door to emergency stairwell. Since there was only one elevator and the building was only six stories tall, many people would opt for the stairs, so the doors to the stairwell were not hooked up to any kind of alarm.

That suited Kim just fine.

Taking the steps two at a time, she felt her body adjust easily to the change in pace. In the entire four years since she retired, she had gone out of her way to maintain her fighting skill, simply because she had nothing better to do. And so, she had signed up at a gym nearby, where she exercised regularly, with no intent to build up her strength – only her stamina and muscular endurance. She felt that, in trying to maintain her vigilante fitness, she had actually _improved_ herself. She found that her reflexes had never been better, an observation she'd made only a few months ago during a practice session she'd had on the roof of her apartment. Another piece of evidence that supported Kim's theory were those few dozen times when she'd quietly hired some thieves to attack the one and only Kim Possible. Of course, the law-breakers had never been aware that the woman who hired them was the same person they'd attacked. In those many encounters, though Kim had taken every opportunity to diminish her chances of winning and give her attackers the most absurd advantages, she'd come through every time with the thieves unconscious at her feet.

Then, she'd vanished into the shadows again.

As she mounted the stairs at a rapid pace, Kim felt her mind slip back into the past.

There _was_ one other reason why she'd been relieved to retire from constantly saving the world. If she was to be completely honest with herself, she could have lived with the constant threat to life and limb. She had grown to love the adrenaline rush of dodging villains and henchmen. Kim had especially enjoyed it when the mission involved Drakken, because that meant she'd have to go up against Shego, the scientist's right hand woman, and Kim's only true equal on the entire planet.

That was why she'd been so unsatisfied when she had brought Drakken to Global Justice. Shego had not been there, so the end of her three-year career had been a bit of an anticlimax.

No, the real reason she had been so relieved to retire was because she'd gotten tired of keeping her secret from every single one of her friends. It wasn't that she didn't trust them to accept her if they knew she was…different. She just didn't trust her secret to remain hidden once so many people knew about it. She couldn't afford to give her enemies any inkling of how she always beat them, or they'd find a way to defend against her.

The truth was that Kim Possible wasn't merely another martial artist vigilante. She had been given a range of abilities that had made her far more than a superior candidate for the job – it had made her _destined_ for it.

Sometime during puberty, her abilities began to present themselves, but slowly enough for her to become accustomed to each one before the next one came out of her genes.

First, Kim had become a telepath, gaining the ability to sense people's thoughts. There were limits to her powers, however few. For some inexplicable reason, the potency of her telepathy was tied directly to her mental state. When she was calm and controlled, her powers were reduced to a strong form of empathy. Depending on how direct her exposure to the target was, she was able to sense a varying degree of emotions and surface thoughts, but nothing deeper. If she was just looking at a person, she could only sense the uppermost emotions in their minds – whatever they were feeling right at that moment. At the university, Kim was more accustomed to sensing boredom in this manner than anything else. Then, if she was able to look a person in the eyes, she was able to dig a little deeper and gather information about their basic personality. To dig even farther, Kim had to be able to make physical contact – skin to skin. At this point, Kim was able to sense the deepest things about a person's core personality, as well as various surface thoughts. Of course, these rules only applied to those times when Kim was absolutely calm, or only mildly nervous or active. As her mind and body became more active, such as when infiltrating a villain's base or cheerleading with her team, her telepathy would grow much more powerful. In the heat of battle for instance, Kim's mind would connect to her opponent's mind, and she would unconsciously create a mental link with them. Through this link, Kim was able to anticipate punches and counter them, transforming her into an incredible fighter – not that she hadn't been an awesome fighter before; her telepathy just gave her an edge over her opponent. So, in essence, the higher Kim's heartbeat rose, and the faster her mind worked, the stronger her telepathy would become and the better her fighting got.

A strange side-effect of her telepathy was her ability to form a _bond_ with any mind she chose. Kim had never before used this secondary ability, but she sensed innately that if she ever formed a bond with another person, she could suddenly learn everything about the person to whose mind she was linked. There was no slow, comfortable unravelling of this information, unfortunately. No, it was an instant-long headache so intense it left her gasping and wanting to swallow a fistful of aspirin. When she finally recovered, she simply…knew things about the person – things that she couldn't have learned anywhere on her own. In most cases, so much information flooded her head that she couldn't even absorb it all. It didn't take long for Kim to realize that this super-link was nothing like the standard link that she had gotten used to. In this case, although the person still would not sense the existence of Kim's connection to their mind, Kim could allow the information to flow the other way, opening portions of her own mind to her partner on the other end, but she had to allow the information to fly out of her mind.

Kim had linked with dozens of people before entering her career as a vigilante, and it had come as no surprise that a link had formed when she met Shego. What had surprised her – shocked her, really – was when the link had escalated into a full-fledged mental bond, completely without her consciously creating it. Her mind had just decided to go on without Kim's agreement, and went ahead and reinforced her link with Shego, strengthening it into a much stranger mental bond. Kim had only encountered Shego for the third time when it had happened, making the redhead pass out from the sharp tension in her temples as Shego's entire life exploded into Kim's head, filing itself away with all the subtlety of a wounded elephant. That little mishap had landed Kim and Ron in Drakken's prison of a basement, for the briefest of hours. After that, Kim had been extra careful not to reveal anything to her arch-foe through their unexpected connection.

As Kim rounded the corner of the last flight of stairs before the top floor, she thought back to the other abilities that had appeared. One had come out only a few weeks before she had met Shego for the second time, giving Kim just enough time to understand what her new powers were exactly.

The second and last major ability that Kim had acquired before retiring had been more of a transformation than a power.

She had become an elemental of the water variety, gifted with the power to change from her normal form to water in any of its three states: Liquid, sold, and gas. She had also learned to turn anything she touched to water, vapour, or ice, as well as control the purity of any form of water by adding or subtracting any elements that were available in the surrounding area, or that were mixed into her water sample. The coolest thing she'd done with this sub-power had been to create a ball of ice that had broken a steel panel, thanks to iron atoms she had gathered from the floor through the palm of her hand. At rest, of course, she looked like any other teenage girl: redheaded, young, and in her prime. By far the greatest side-effect of her new elemental nature, however, was her ability to heal from any wound if she had access to some water. By splashing some water on the wound, she was able to stop bleeding, repair bone fractures, and accelerate healing from cut, to scab, to fresh skin. The same went for any sickness she got; all she had to do was drink some water and wait a few minutes.

When Kim had encountered Shego after gaining this new tool, she had been glad to have her water-healing ability because her Nemesis-to-be had acquired her own set of lethal powers.

Thanks to some kind of industrial accident that had happened in the month after they met the first time, Shego's hands had become permanently altered at the genetic level to emit an incredible amount of radiation that quickly dissipated at only a few centimetres distance from them. Shego's hands were able to melt through anything, especially young red-headed teenagers like Kim. Inexplicable, Shego had also somehow learned how to throw highly reactive balls of superheated plasma from her irradiated hands. Without her abilities as a water elemental, Kim would never have been able to escape from Shego for an instant to slash open a water main and heal the searing burn in her side. She would have died were it not for her new ability.

The strangest thing about that encounter, however, was the hatred and pain in the raven-haired villain's eyes. The first time they'd met, Shego had been a young, innocent lab assistant and bodyguard, hired to watch Drakken's back and thwart Kim's attempt to stop his scheme. The henchwoman had been indifferent, both to her employer and to her new enemy. She had been…bored, almost. Her job had been just that to her – a job, nothing more. Then, when Shego and Kim had met again, Shego had been sporting a new outfit, a new ability – hell, a new self in fact. She had been a completely different person, and weirdest of all, she blamed Kim for the change in her hands. She held the teenage vigilante responsible for ruining her personal life, since she was now unable to get close to anyone without burning them, quite literally. She blamed Kim so vehemently, that Kim's attempts to clear up the entire situation – and figure out what in the world was happening – had been summarily ignored or dismissed.

Kim paused just before the door to the sixth floor of the stairwell. There was only one other ability that she had acquired, and it had appeared only two months after her retirement. Kim felt fortunate that her weather-control ability hadn't presented itself before she'd quit hero-going, because she might have been tempted to stay – if she could find a practical use for controlling the weather. She hadn't been sure what to think about this new power that she'd gained. In the end, she had seen no way that it could have helped her, were she still in the business.

There was nothing really complex about this latest gift she'd gained, and she had only used it often enough in the first six months to get used to it and be able to switch it off. After that, she'd limited her weather-witching to several hours of practice every couple days. When she concentrated on what she wanted to create, Kim's eyes clouded over with a fine pearly-whiteness, but her vision remained perfectly clear. She had learned to create a miniscule rainstorm over a flowerpot, which was easy. It had taken some time for her to be able to summon something that small. A smile crossed the redhead's lips as she remembered the first few times that she'd tried to water her African violet. It had gotten the water it needed, but so had the area two metres around it. As it turned out, the bigger she wanted a storm to be, and the longer she wanted it to last, the more concentration she needed. The largest thing Kim had ever created was a chaotic two-hour blizzard over the entire region of Montreal in June, and that had taken all of her concentration. After her focus had finally broken, Kim had found that she had a killer headache, and had gone two days without being able to do anything. Her boss hadn't been pleased, but hadn't fired her, thankfully. She thought that it would have been easier to create that blizzard during winter, since the local atmosphere was more conducive to the formation of snow.

Kim had practiced her powers as a weather-witch every other day for the entire three-and-a-half-years after she had learned to be able to turn her power on and off, stretching them out to strengthen them and find her limit. As far as she could tell so far, she didn't have a limit, but she'd stopped short of any more large-scale anomalies. Instead, she had worked on a crude method of gauging her control over incredibly small-scale systems, and then translating that into the equivalent for much more drastic weather systems. She'd added a portion to her training schedule that included conjuring miniature storms in her bathtub, testing how long she could sustain them before her control wavered and the storm collapsed on itself. So far, she had noticed that the length she was able to hold control of the small thunderheads had increased over the years, leading her to the conclusion that if she kept exercising all of her abilities, she would eventually get to the point where she would have virtually no limit to what she could do – in the way of telepathy, elemental power, or weather control, anyway.

Kim finally opened the door to the sixth floor.

As she stepped through, she felt the thrill of…something rush through her body from head to toe. She shivered at the sensation, and found herself unable to think about it for a handful of seconds. She suddenly detected that smell of lilies and leather again, but she couldn't trace it to a source. Although Kim's unique experience with puberty had sharpened her senses, and increased her mind and body's capabilities, she was still unable to detect the origin of the faintly familiar odour. The scent had been in the air far too long, and had expanded to permeate every corner of the sixth floor hallway. Whoever it was that had moved in with that unique perfume and wardrobe choice was now living on the same floor as Kim, and had been here recently enough that the ventilation system had not yet been able to filter out the scent particles that hung in the air from their passage.

Kim shrugged it off. She'd meet this person eventually, and then the familiarity of the odour might be explained. Kim moved on to her apartment, _606_. Pulling out her keys, she unlocked the door and pushed it open…

Only to have it slammed in her face by someone on the other side.

The sudden burst of adrenaline from the sharp movement jumpstarted Kim's telepathy into overdrive, and she immediately sensed a fierce burst of amusement ripple out from the single mind on the other side of the door. She also sensed something familiar, a mind that she hadn't encountered in a long time.

"Shego," she breathed, scarcely believing it. She felt dozens of memories flood through her head as the door opened once again. "What are you doing here?"

"Now, now Kim," the opening door revealed the raven-haired woman herself, the young villain who had eluded capture for four years now. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" She grinned wryly.

Kim stood silently on her own doorstep for a full minute before replying. While she was justifiably stunned, she studied the older woman closely, seeing her nemesis for the first time in a very long, boring four years.

Shego hadn't changed much in all that time. Her night-black hair was still just as long and full as ever, hanging loosely down just below her waist, and her bright green eyes – a feature they shared – still shone with the mischievous playfulness of her youth. The callous cynicism that had made her a top villain was slightly less evident in her eyes than it had been the last time Kim had seen her. Her face hadn't changed, other than to become a hair narrower and a shade darker. Her skin was still pale though, a result of the ever mysterious industrial accident that had turned her against Kim. Her body, though covered in her all-too-familiar neon green and black leather bodysuit, wasn't too difficult to notice. She'd managed to keep her same figure, broadening in the shoulders as well as in other regularly used areas of her body, no doubt because of her four years spent dodging Global Justice and the world's Kim Possible wannabies. Shego had gained maybe two or three centimetres in height, making her stand a good deal higher than Kim. The expected emerald glow that always surrounded her hands wasn't gone, but it was muted somewhat, as if she had lost some of the energy in her hands. The fact that Shego hadn't immediately attacked her led Kim to believe that something had happened to the super villain to steal away her overbearing hatred for the teen heroine. Her posture had usually been tense, as if she had wound herself like a spring and was just waiting for an excuse to release the tension.

Today, however, her stance was relaxed, and the smile on her face wasn't the cruel one she had always worn.

That was something, at least.

Finally, Kim crossed the threshold and entered her apartment. "When were we ever _friends_, Shego?" She closed the door behind her, deciding against pressing her guest for details right away. If Shego had come to attack her long-time rival, Kim Possible, she would have done so already, so she had probably come to confront a past issue, which meant a lot of talking. Kim turned with narrowed eyes and assessed Shego's stance. _If she wants to talk, let her talk in her own time. She'll talk when she's ready; there's no need to invade her mind._

Shego shrugged, her wry smile unshaken. "Well, I think we stopped being enemies some time during our last fight, so what else is there, Kimmie?"

Hearing that nickname cross those thin dark lips for the first time in four years brought back even more memories for Kim. She had battled Shego far more often than any other villains, thanks to the fact that Doctor Drakken always had some kind of scheme in the works, no matter how many times he was thwarted.

Then, the full extent of Shego's words hit her. "What do you mean, Shego? What happened the last time we fought?"

Shego shrugged again, betraying no emotions for Kim to read. She turned away from the door and Kim and strode farther into her nemesis' home. "I never really expected you to remember it since nothing out of the ordinary happened to you, but I've never forgotten it." Shego turned back to Kim, her voice very quiet now. "At some point, images and thoughts suddenly flooded my head, and then you knocked me out cold."

Kim's breath caught in her throat as she realized where her guest was going with her story. "Oh no…"

She thought back to that last fight, and a fleeting thought that had, apparently, opened her secrets to her greatest enemy.

* * *

**(((_Flashback))) _**

_Kim had taken great pains to quietly infiltrate Dr. Drakken's latest lair. This new scheme of his was the craziest thing she'd seen in a while. Somehow, he had managed to get his hands on a fully stocked, decommissioned nuclear missile silo somewhere in the open desert of the Sahara. Kim hadn't even been aware that there was any kind of nuclear capability in Africa, but she'd gotten over her surprise very quickly._

_When she'd finally gotten to the heart of Drakken's lair, completely undetected thanks to the absence of both Ron and Rufus – Ron had been grounded a few days earlier for two weeks because he hadn't warned his parents that he would be breaking curfew to go on a mission with Kim, into Drakken's previous lair no less._

_So, Kim had tracked Drakken down on her own _this _time, ensuring a stealthy mission, since Ron had a tendency to give away their movements with his clumsiness._

_When she'd reached the control room of the silo, keeping to the shadows inside a ventilation duct, she'd relaxed back to listen to Drakken's extra-loud gloating._

"_Look at this, Shego!" He beamed at the control room's million switches and dials. "My latest scheme is about to succeed with a payoff greater than anything you can imagine." He started to pace, "and it's all thanks to the blundering of that buffoon!" The blue-skinned evil genius burst into a fit of maniacal laughter. "My sources tell me that his parents grounded him, and without her sidekick, Kim Possible will never dare take me on."_

_Shego appeared below Kim's vent cover and the redhead quickly backed deeper into the shadows. "Don't be too sure, Dr. D. Kim Possible isn't quite as dependent on Stoppable as you think she is."_

_Drakken brushed away her comment. "Nonsense, Shego! Kim Possible is helpless without her friend and his rodent." He turned away. "But enough! It is time for me to reveal to you my secret plot!"_

_Shego grinned cruelly and interrupted her boss. "Let me guess," she stepped away from the grating Kim was hiding behind just before sneezing. "You're going to use your new super-secret lair as a platform from which you'll launch your fancy drilling equipment to tunnel to a major city of your choice. You'll lay down railroad tracks from here to there, and if your demands aren't met, you'll launch a nuclear missile into your tunnel to explode beneath your target city. Did I get it?"_

_Drakken made a pained noise, as if he'd just had something precious stolen from him. "Aw! Shego – I hate it when you do that! You take all the fun out of my gloating. At least Kim Possible doesn't second guess my plans." He grumbled a little more._

_Shego wandered back toward the vent grating and didn't reply until she was almost right under Kim's hiding spot. "She doesn't need to, Drakken," she breathed, and then lowered her voice even further. "And I'm beginning to see that you don't know a single thing about her. She is everything you say she isn't, and it's taken me a long time to see it."_

_Kim had grinned from her hiding place. Shego's sudden hatred for her had always seemed a little fishy to her. It had been far too sudden a change in the woman's character, without any known source. The first time they'd met, Kim's telepathy had told her that Shego was curious about where Kim had learned her considerable fighting skills, but the second time, she had literally burned with such a fire that Kim had been completely stunned – and for a long time, perhaps a little more than a year, Kim had rolled with it. She'd followed Shego's personality change without wondering where it had come from, and what could have caused it._

_As she had crouched in that air vent, sitting just a few metres above her nemesis' head, Kim realized with a sudden insight from Drakken's mind, that Shego was being lied to, had been lied to for her entire employment under the scientist. "If only you knew, Shego," she'd whispered to herself._

_Beneath her, she'd heard a soft gasp from Shego. She'd bent down, clutching her head in one hand._

_Drakken noticed it of course; in such a cramped control room, and with her flashy green-and-black jumpsuit, it was hard not to. "Eh? What's the matter with you Shego? If Kim Possible _does_ make her way here, I'm certain you'll need to be in top form."_

"_It's nothing," Shego had straightened back up, over her sudden discomfort, "just a headache." She glanced up at the vent grating over her head, and coughed quietly. "We just moved in here, so the air's a little stale."_

_Kim had taken that opportunity to smash in the grating and drop down right behind Shego. "No more stale than the last lair's ventilation."_

_Shego stiffened as everyone else drew back from her, Drakken and henchmen included. "My, my, my," she turned slowly, an amused grin lighting up her pale face. "Kim Possible, what is this – two visits in one week? I must say I'm flattered."_

_Kim grinned lopsidedly, "I'm sorry about your headache, Shego, but I don't pull my punches." She settled back into a defensive posture. "Shall we?"_

_Shego relaxed too, but her hands tensed up into claws, their bright green glow intensifying. "I thought you'd never ask," she grinned, her eyes lighting up with anticipation._

_Drakken had gotten over his surprise by then, "enough talking, Shego. Attack!"_

_**(((End Flashback)))**_

* * *

Kim let the memory fade away from her mind. From there, Shego and Kim had gone at each other's throats, just like always, and Kim had ended up throwing Shego into a hard wall, knocking her out cold.

She looked at Shego, and opted to maybe try and worm her way out of this. She coughed uncomfortably, "I – uh – I don't know what you mean, Shego." She leaned back against the door, feigning a casual, unworried manner.

She sensed amusement and disappointment shoot through the older woman's mind like a lightning bolt. "Oh, drop the act. Lying isn't like you – it's unbecoming."

Kim relented, her shoulders slumping. "Hey, it was worth a shot," she explained with a smile.

* * *

Hey, how's that for a first chapter? Told you it was a weird concept...More to come soon.

And please don't forget the review button down here. I thrive on constructive criticism.


	2. An old Friend?

Author: Okay, so I'm actually surprised that a few of you actually _want_ more of this crazy story. Thanks for the reviews though. I didn't expect them to come to my email account. Anyhoo, onto Chapter 2 for you masochists out there. Ooh! Quick question: The plasma in Shego's hands - can that be considered radiation? When I started writing this I assumed yes, and I stuck with that.

Disclaimer: Fine, I'll try to be a little more professional. Kim Possible and all affiliated names, ideas, and stories belong to the Walt Disney Corporation - not me. The only things I own in this story are Kim's Powers (which I confess I already realized are overkill, but I'm too lazy to tone them down, so we'll just give Kim a heaping load of self-control), Kim's apartment (well, my sister actually owns that - owned that), and some other slightly less impressive stuff. I also don't own any video game or computer software companies.

Review: When last we left Kim and Shego, Kim had just tried to brush off Shego saying she knew Kim's secret, but we all know how pro Kim's lying skills are, right?

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Shego grinned. "Nice try, _Kimmie_, but we'll move on." She moved even deeper into Kim's apartment, speaking on the move. "So, when I woke up after Drakken shipped everything out of that lair, I suddenly knew your secret." She sat down on one of Kim's two couches, the cream-coloured loveseat. She was careful with her hands, never allowing them to come too close to the white fabric of the couch, ensuring that she wouldn't destroy Kim's furniture. "So, what's it like to be a telepath? And spare me no details."

Kim smiled grimly and stalled for time by going to her fridge and grabbing two cans of Coke. Her kitchen was just big enough for her, separated from the rest of the room by a red-topped peninsula kind of counter with a wide, deep sink in the middle. "Okay, I'll play along, but only because it doesn't look like I'm going to get you to leave by asking you to get out." She sat down on the other couch, the more comfortable and larger of the two, setting both cokes down on the glass-topped coffee table. "This doesn't make us friends," she said with a slight grin.

Shego nodded her agreement, "if you say so, Kimmie." That surge of memories struck Kim again like a slap in the face. "By the way, I hope that isn't for me," she pointed at the drink closest to her. "I doubt it's escaped your notice, but I can't feed myself with my hands the way they are." She waved her un-gloved left hand, and Kim noticed that the green glow of plasma energy had been restored to its usual intensity. "You know, this kind of energy doesn't come with an off switch."

For a few moments, Kim just looked at the hand that still hung in the air in front of her. She had never gotten the chance to look at her archenemy's bare hands before, but to all appearances, nothing appeared to be wrong with them. From the energy levels that Wade had frequently recorded as they fought, the retired heroine had suspected that Shego's hands had mutated from some kind of industrial accident, or a rare slip-up in a chemical lab during one of the villainess' frequent illegal shopping sprees for Dr Drakken. If that was the case, where was the damage? A chemical accident or genetic mutation would have to leave some kind of mark on Shego's hands, but they were, for lack of a better word, flawless. They were a little pale, but so was the rest of her skin - the parts that Kim had seen at least. Almost slapping herself, Kim realized that Shego's hands weren't the only thing that had changed between their first and second meetings. Now that she thought about it, Shego's skin had been a glaringly noticeable tint of green ever since their second fight; Kim had just been too stunned by the woman's change in personality to notice the skin tone difference. It was nothing particularly hideous or unhealthy looking - definitely not a neon shade of green -, but she should have been able to recognise the change since it was a far cry from the lightly tanned shade that Shego had worn when they first met.

Realizing finally that she was staring, Kim stepped down her glare and just studied her long-time archenemy for a second longer to gauge her seriousness. She shook her head and sighed in exasperation, but she stood finally and moved over to the couch Shego occupied. Grabbing the can she'd intended for the raven-haired woman, Kim snapped it open and raised it to Shego's lips. "I assume Drakken was the one who always fed you, right?"

Shego grunted as she tilted her head back, drinking back a few gulps of coca-cola. "Mm," she breathed appreciatively after pushing the can away with her chin. "I've forgotten how good that stuff tastes. But yeah – Drakken fed me; he thought that was justification enough to decide he'd fallen in love with me."

Kim placed the can back on the table and sat back down without replying, not trusting herself to say anything without sounding stupid. _That's a surprise_, she thought. _Ron sometimes said that those two had a thing, but I never believed him. _Of course, from Shego's tone, nothing had come of the deranged scientist's puppy love, so it was a bit of a moot point. "Is that so?" She decided it was time to break open the explosive topic. "Say, why are you being so civil with me, Shego? The last time I checked, you were blaming me for what happened to your hands. What gives?"

The raven haired villainess closed her eyes for a moment. "One of the things I learned from your brief telepathic burst was a particularly...interesting memory. It showed me what really happened all those years ago in that toxic waste dump. Your buddy Stoppable got a lucky shot while you and I were fighting our first duel, and knocked me out. Then, you and he took off after Drakken as he escaped. That's the last time you saw me before my hands went all radioactive." She sighed, "Everything else is a blank. I don't remember anything from after we fought that first time to waking up with my hands already burning with destructive energy. And, of course, you weren't there, so no amount of digging through what you gave me could tell me what I needed to know." Shego suddenly released a rueful chuckle. "Drakken told me that you had done it to me before he could stop you. Can you believe that I trusted him? I didn't even think about it, I was so traumatized by the sudden change in my health, but you must have been quite a horrible bitch back then to do this to me only ten minutes after meeting me." Shego's hands slowly balled into a pair of tight fists. "Once I woke up after our last battle, since I now realized that Drakken had lied to me about you, I assumed he'd lied about other things." She paused and took a moment to trace a gloved finger around her bare palm. "So I took off, but not before giving the big man a good lesson in...Employee relations."

Kim thought back to the state Drakken had been in when she'd found him. "Oh, so that's what you call leaving your boss half-dead and delirious from blood loss. I'd kind of wondered why you did that to him…" Kim took the unopened can of coke and popped it open, taking a long drink before she continued, "But go on, please. Your story's interesting."

Shego grinned. "And I'm just getting to the best part too." She leaned back beside Kim and closed her eyes as her mind drifted back into her past. "I learned three things from you that day, Kim. First – I learned that it wasn't you that mutated my hands, but I never found out who it was. Second – I discovered the secret to your success. You're not like any other Hollywood-style superheroes, which are always so one-dimensional. You can know everything about them in only five minutes of watching them. But you," Shego's bright green eyes opened and she turned her head to regard Kim with a probing look. "You were a complex girl, Kim - and I'm guessing you're even more of a mystery now. In the three years we'd known each other, I never once believed that I'd completely gotten to know your methods. Now I realize how you were able to defy conventional fighting trends."

Kim smiled as another ripple of amusement washed out from Shego's mind, and she allowed herself to relax too. No evil would come from Shego's knowledge of the ex-heroine's secrets. Kim could sense her motives vaguely through their ever-strengthening mental link. "What do you mean?" Although she could see a little of Shego's purpose, her telepathy was being selective enough that she couldn't get a clear reading on her mind.

Shego took a deep breath, "generally, after ten or fifteen minutes, a fighter will start to grow sluggish and uncontrolled from the exertion, but you do the opposite. You start a battle at more or less top form, and then you just get better. I learned a long time ago that if I couldn't put you down in a battle in less than two or three minutes, it was unlikely that I ever would - not that day at least. I was always curious to know how you entered the Zone. Now, I know that it's one effect of your telepathy."

Kim leaned forward, placing her drink on the coffee table. "And the third thing you learned from me was – what?"

Something mysterious passed behind Shego's eyes. "I-I'd rather not talk about that one."

Kim relented, giving the suddenly silent criminal a few moments to compose herself. "Okay, tell me this though; why are you here?"

The raven-haired felon shrugged. "I don't know – I just decided it was time to get some answers to the questions that last fight created in my mind." She pointed at her can of Coke. "Could I have some more?"

Kim reached for Shego's drink and brought it to her archenemy's lips. "So, it took you four years to decide you wanted answers?" Kim considered Shego's story. She didn't need her telepathy to know that wasn't the whole story._ No, Shego. There's something else…some other reason you dropped below the radar. I wonder if…_

After drinking down some Coke, Shego sat back again. "Nah. It took me one year to realize I wouldn't find the answers on my own, another six months to admit that only you could answer my questions, two years to work up the courage to approach you, and the last seven months to hunt you down."

"Hmm," Kim stood from the two-seater couch and walked over to the open patio door that opened out onto the balcony. A sudden thought occurred to her as she stared out the window. "Say, how did you get in here?" She jerked her thumb behind her at the door to her apartment. "I noticed that my door's still intact."

Shego's serious mood evaporated, leaving behind a mischievous grin. "I climbed up the outside of the building." She tried unsuccessfully to hide a giggle behind her hand. "By the way, you're going to need a new lock. Sorry," she added under her breath.

Kim turned and scanned the patio door for damage. Sure enough, the latch of the sliding door had been heavily burned and melted, and was barely attached to the frame anymore. Kim reached out and brushed the broken lock, and it clattered to the floor with a quiet rattle, making her smile. "No, I think I need a new door." She slid the door closed with her foot and returned to her place on the little couch beside Shego.

It was Shego who broke the unexpectedly comfortable silence between them, using a thoughtful tone that Kim had never heard from her. "What's your favourite season?"

_What?_ Kim's eyes widened, not only from the question, but from the fact that Shego had asked it. She had never thought Shego would spend time reflecting on philosophical questions like that. "I-I don't know," she ventured. "I've never really given myself any time to consider deep questions like that." That was actually a little bit of a lie, since Kim had spent a lot of time in the past four years reflecting on her life, and why she'd left the business. She looked over at Shego, "I didn't realize you had, either." She paused, and then said the first answer she could come up with. She'd learned that first instincts were usually the right ones, with a few...explosive exceptions. "I'd say that spring is my favourite season. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about the rain washing away the salt and grit of winter that seems rejuvenating, refreshing…almost renewing. It's kinda poetic, I guess." Kim grabbed her Coke and took a long drink to shut herself up. _Why am I playing these games with Shego? We've never been friends exactly, have we?_

She felt a splash of mild surprise from her guest. "Really? That's a surprise." The older woman smiled slightly. "Spring's my season, too. It's just that new beginnings are always rather touching."

Kim nodded, not really understanding why Shego was leading her on in this mind game. She closed her eyes and tried to get a feel for her guest's intent. All she could sense was that Shego was feeling mischievous, playful, and – strangest of all –, frightened. _Why is she scared? No, she's not scared – she's terrified…What could possibly put this much fear in her?_

Deciding to ignore this strangeness for now, since it might add to Shego's discomfort to bring it up, Kim spoke while absently running her hand along the dark red slip cover she'd made for the larger of her two couches. "So, call me curious, but if Drakken fed you and I have to do the same, how have you been eating for all this time?"

Shego grinned, her mischievous spirit fully restored as a wave of gratitude rippled out from her mind. Kim realized with a start that the villain had known all along that she could sense the fear in her mind through the link Kim had made, and she was grateful that Kim hadn't inquired about her fearfulness. She chuckled guiltily, "there are ways that I can feed myself, but it's more fun to let someone else do it, especially a former hero-girl like you, _Princess_." She winked as she drew out one of the many other pet names she'd given Kim and reached up to her neck, where the zipper for her skin-tight green-and-black costume ended. Moving casually, Shego unzipped her bodysuit to her waist and opened the left side just enough for Kim to see a single pocket with a bunch of cutlery sticking out of it: a fork, knife, spoon, and a pair of chopsticks. "See?" Satisfied that Kim had seen enough of her long-time archenemy's eating tools, Shego released her hold on her costume, allowing the very slight elasticity of the material to pull it closed. The raven-haired fugitive didn't zip her costume closed, however, so Kim had a subtle view of the green tank-top that Shego was wearing underneath the tight leather.

And unless she was mistaken, it looked similar to the one that had been the staple of Kim's high school student wardrobe back in the day.

Attempting to not think about Shego's suddenly revealed wardrobe choice, Kim pointed to her archenemy's waist. "I hope you have extra sets of cutlery, Shego. I doubt that one set will last all the way through your next meal." Kim narrowed her eyes. _It doesn't make sense that Shego would carry a set of cutlery that she'd destroy as soon as she touched them._

Shego's mind responded with a ripple of amusement. "Do you really think so?" She pulled out one of her chopsticks and held it tightly in her fist. Kim expected it to disintegrate in her hands within seconds, but when nothing happened, she began to understand. "There are two substances I know of that can withstand the energy in my hands, Kim. Well, actually, there are a lot of things that aren't affected by the plasma energy, but they're mostly very useless everyday things, like adhesives or polishes. The main two things, on the other hand, are leather and some kind of aluminium, lead, and titanium alloy that Drakken claimed to have developed." Shego grinned smugly and returned her chopstick to the inside pocket of her costume. "Leather won't be damaged by the energy, but it won't block it. In fact, my destructive energy gets transferred through the leather of my gloves, or a rope, continuing on the other side."

Kim nodded, "so that's how you made that whip burn like your hands." She rubbed her left shoulder gingerly, feeling a stab of phantom pain from the wound that Shego had burned into her a year before she retired. "I'd always wondered about it." A sudden thought occurred to her as she remembered Shego in the years they'd known each other. "Say, now that I think about it, how is it that the energy radiates only a short distance away from your hands, and yet you can throw balls of it across a room?"

Shego shrugged apologetically. "Don't even ask because I don't know, and - honestly - I don't really care. It just…happens. I don't know _how_ it works, I just know that it _does_ work, and I can control it – one of the few aspects of my mutation that I have control over." She breathed a short, bitter laugh. "When I'm focused enough, the energy in my hands subsides to build up enough power to pack into a tight package, and then it shoots out in a straight line. Learning to aim took a while, but I finally got it down. Scared the crap out of you the first time I did it, didn't I?"

Kim chuckled quietly. "Yeah – I'll say." At the mention of Shego's inexplicable secondary ability, Kim felt another twinge of phantom pain – stronger –, this time in her ankle. Shego had almost blown Kim's entire foot off in that fight. Kim had been forced to go into hiding for almost twenty minutes with her ankle soaking under an open water pipe to heal from that one. "I'm glad you were rarely able to hit me after that one."

Shego just smiled. "Precisely my thinking now, but let's move on." She narrowed her eyes and pulled off her right glove. Then, while she examined her black-painted fingernails, she changed the subject back to the previous subject. "The aluminium/lead/titanium alloy, on the other hand, is the only useful substance known to me that can completely block the plasma energy in my hands. Just one-and-a-half millimetres of it is enough to completely stop the effects of the energy. I convinced Drakken have a lot of things custom made for me so I could at least try to live a normal life." She waved one hand at the black leather satchel at her feet, which Kim hadn't really looked at yet. "Take my bag for instance; the outer shell is made of leather, but all the zippers and metal fittings are made of the special alloy, which I've named Almleti - go ahead and laugh -, as well as the inner lining of the bag. The inner lining is meant to protect the contents of the bag, but there aren't really that many things I'd carry that don't melt at my touch." Shego opened the dark leather sack and began pulling out various items, laying them beside each other on the glass-covered coffee table. "See? I've got my spare costume and extra pairs of gloves, all of which are made of leather. Then, there's a pair of steel-tipped almleti gloves, which I use for climbing, and one or two spare sets of cutlery…Finally, I have an entire camping dish set, custom-made from almleti metal."

Kim studied the growing collection of specialized tools and clothing. "Wow…this is very cool, Shego." She sat back and took another sip of her coke. "But – you're forgetting about two other big things that are immune to the plasma in your hands."

"Yeah?" Shego sounded sceptical, "and what's that?"

Kim picked up one of Shego's black leather gloves and took a moment to study it. "You and me," she glanced back up at her former nemesis.

Shego chuckled, "yeah. I never expected that you'd be able to heal from everything I threw at you."

The redheaded ex-heroine studied Shego closely, curious to know if she knew any more than she was letting on. "Shego, why are you really here?"

The raven-haired woman opened her mouth to answer, but she was interrupted by a shrill, four-tone beeping from one of Kim's pockets. A sardonic grin appeared on her face as Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator. "I don't believe it, Kim. You've been retired four years and you still carry the super geek around in your pocket?"

Kim giggled nervously. "Oh, you know; old habits." She activated the handheld device, "Wade?"

The still-young hacker appeared on the four-inch screen. His black hair and darker skin were virtually unchanged by the four years since Kim had last seen him on the small screen. "Hi, Kim. Look, I know you're retired, but something's come up, and I figured you'd like to know about it."

Kim sighed, "I'm doing fine, Wade. How are you?"

Wade grimaced. "Sorry, Kim. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so I would rather not be doing this, but you'll want to know about this – trust me." He grinned suddenly.

Kim glanced over at Shego quickly. The fugitive was busy examining her steel-tipped climbing claws, almost ignoring Kim's conversation. She looked back at Wade's face on her Kimmunicator. "Is it about Shego, Wade?"

The highly skilled hacker nodded slowly, his face aglow from the light of his computer monitor. "After Drakken's capture, you asked me to let you know if I heard any news about her. It's been a long time in coming, but she finally slipped up. She's been seen by someone."

"Where?" Kim glanced over at her guest and felt a weak ripple of uneasiness rush through her head. "Who's seen her?"

Wade typed away at his computer for a few seconds before an image appeared to replace his face on the screen. It showed Shego, crouched in the shadows of a utility shed on the roof of an apartment building, the green glow of her hands giving her away quite easily. Kim took a moment to study the still image, recognizing the place after a moment. It was the apartment building across the street from where she lived.

Wade's face returned to the screen. "It says here that she was seen about three days ago by a news helicopter on its way to a particularly wild car accident. The fact that she was caught on their camera was purely coincidence; some fool on the chopper turned the cameras on a few minutes too early – a rookie, I'm guessing. He probably thought the tapes had to be warm for the video to be good quality. She was seen, uh, here." He held a slip of paper up to his web camera. Then, he typed a little more on his keyboard. "Uh, if you can be ready in half-an-hour, I can have some new toys airlifted to that location. Ron's...busy, so you'll be on your own."

Kim shifted uneasily on her couch, glancing again at Shego. The felon was studying her intently as the heroine tried to find a solution to this new problem. "Um Wade, are you sure this is important enough to pull me out of retirement? I mean, she hasn't done anything in four years, and what's the statute of limitations on her crimes? Is she still even a criminal?"

This time, Shego actually managed to hide her laughter behind her hand as Wade thought the question over, studying Kim closely. "Hey Kim, are you feeling all right? This _is_ your greatest foe we're talking about, you know. This would mean the final end to your career. No more loose ends." A strange look passed across his expression, but he quickly covered it up.

_What does he know? _Kim sighed, "Yeah I know." She thought fast, "I've just been really busy lately, doing work and school."

The hacker smiled, nodding his head sympathetically, "I know what you mean. This mission is costing me my undefeated standing in Command and Conquer Generals."

Both Kim and Shego stared at the communicator in Kim's hand, both their voices rising in astonished disbelief. "What?"

Wade's eyes widened. "Kim?" He darted his gaze around his computer monitor, "who's there with you?"

Kim glared over at her guest. Fortunately, the two of them were sitting in such a way that Shego could see the pocket-hacker's face on the four-inch screen, but Wade couldn't see her. Kim froze, trying desperately to explain the second voice at her end of the transmission. "Oh – uh, that's just Sh-Sharon, my roommate." Kim glanced back at her hacker friend. "So, what's going on with the computer game?"

The younger boy scowled. "My professor resents me; that's what's going on. I've been acing my communications labs, and everyone else is barely passing, so Langstrum decided to award extra credit to everyone who can beat me at a game of his choosing. It just so happens he chose my best game, so I didn't have much trouble until this came up." The black-haired, freckle-faced young man glanced to his right for a second, taking in the view on another monitor. "My base defences are holding for now, but that could change really soon."

Kim sighed again, and had to suppress the urge to burst into peals of laughter at the incredulous expression on Shego's face. "Okay Wade, go back to your 'schoolwork.' I'll be on that rooftop in an hour."

"Gotcha," and the communicator winked off.

Shego continued staring at the inactive device. "Generals?" Her voice was soft, but sounded like it could escalate to a hysterical screech any second. "He's complaining about losing a _computer game_?"

Kim stood up and walked back to the balcony door. "It's what he does." She stared out across the street, closely studying the apartment building where Shego had been seen three days earlier. After a moment, she turned back to face her onetime archenemy. "So," she began calmly, a tiny smile twisting her lips, "how long have you known where I'm living?"

Shego grinned uneasily, "three months. Even after I figured out where you were, I still didn't have the guts to approach you as brazenly as I had first planned." She paused for a few heartbeats, and then continued in a much softer voice. "What I needed to talk to you about couldn't be taken lightly, so I had to prepare myself for whatever reaction you might have to what I say."

"Okay," Kim tossed a casual glance over her shoulder at her balcony. "We'll probably talk more later on, but onto present matters." She stared at the apartment building across the street again. "So – Shego, can I expect to find you during my hunt tonight? Or will you just be hanging out here?"

Shego's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You know where I am already, but you haven't attacked me. I think we've reached some kind of non-aggression pact, but I can't be sure it won't progress farther. So, why indulge the super-geek?"

Kim sighed in frustration at her inability to view the raven-haired woman as a foe any longer. "You know exactly why. As far as the world knows, you and I are mortal enemies. If I refuse to hunt down this lead, Wade will know right away that something is wrong, and he'll investigate for sure."

Shego frowned. "Since when did you care what the world thought? I mean, aside from the typical teenage-girl, peer pressure angst, gotta-be-cool scene?"

Kim hesitated before answering, "I-I'm not really…ready for anyone to know what's going on _here_." She waved her finger from herself to Shego and back, "especially when _I_ don't really know what's happening between us."

Now, Shego stood and joined Kim by the patio window. "Tell you what, Kim." She glanced over at the redhead. "Give me an hour's head start, and then come and find me – after meeting the super nerd of course." She grinned mischievously. "If you can't track me down by dawn, you have to meet me on the roof of _this_ building." She slipped a small card into Kim's hand. "Once you're there, I'll tell you what you have to do to get the answers."

Kim looked at the business card. "And if I _do_ track you down in time?"

The raven-haired woman grinned even more widely. "I'm sure we'll figure something out." She laid a hand on Kim's shoulder, forgetting about her deadly touch for a few moments.

At first, almost without realizing it, Kim found herself leaning into Shego's touch, finding no small amount of comfort in the uncharacteristically gentle touch of her former nemesis' hand. Kim's eyes closed of their own volition. "Hmm…" Every other time the two of them had shared any kind of physical contact, Shego's mind had been filled with hate and anger, and Kim had been far too busy fending off the blows to find anything other than exhilaration and heavy doses of adrenaline in her own head. Then, there had always been a sharp spike of pain whenever Shego landed a blow.

And, speaking of pain…

Kim hissed suddenly as the emerald aura around the older woman's hand finally penetrated through her black t-shirt. A sharp stab of pain burned down her arm from her shoulder, forcing her eyes open again. She felt the pain radiate from her shoulder, preceding the severe burns that she knew came as a consequence of being touched by Shego.

Shego was jolted out of her contemplative reverie by Kim's gasp of surprise and pain. "Oh, God!" She tore her hand away from her hostess' shoulder and stared at what she'd done. "I'm sorry Kim; you'll heal from that, right?"

Kim took a moment to master the pain that was causing her entire left arm to go numb. "Yeah – just give me some time alone," she mumbled, her eyes narrowing to slits as she concentrated on anything other than the severe radiation burn on her shoulder. Surprisingly, the first thought that floated up from the depths of her mind was a memory of one of her last fights with the very woman who had just caused the injury in her shoulder. The image of Shego's night-black hair flying about her face as she flipped over Kim, leading up to one of her more piercing punches, was enough to drive the thought of pain from Kim's mind, but not because of the memory itself. The fact that the first memory that came to her was of Shego was what drove the pain away from her thoughts. For an instant, Kim allowed herself to wonder why she had thought of her former nemesis first, but then she realized that the woman to whom all her thoughts seemed to be devoted had still not moved away from her place behind her. If anything, the pale-skinned woman had moved even closer, her mind a storm of concern, frustration, and nervousness. "Well?" Kim finally forced some words out from between her teeth. "Go on, Shego – the sooner you leave, the sooner I can get to work on this burn." The raven-haired villain still didn't move away, and Kim turned around to find that she actually _had_ stepped closer, her stance putting her face within half a hand span of Kim. "Shego…go on." Kim felt her resolve weaken slightly, and her control over her pain slipped. A sharp needle of heat and agony from her shoulder caused her legs to weaken, and she started to fall over.

Without hesitating, Shego caught her with the crook of her elbow under Kim's arm. Her free hand grabbed the waistband of the redhead's jeans and helped to support the injured young woman. "Like Hell I will," she mumbled. Before her hand could burn through Kim's pants, she turned and tossed her onto the red couch. "You can't even stand up, Kim. There's no way you're getting to any medications that can help you. Tell me what you need."

A few seconds after landing, Kim sat up, once again gaining control over the severe pain. "No, Shego…" speech was hard for her though. "You said…hour's head start…I have to find…you."

Shego simply walked over to the coffee table and picked out a pair of black leather gloves. This pair looked a little heavier than standard leather, and they made soft metallic noises as they shifted in the villainess' hands. She slipped them on and turned back to face Kim, a grin lighting up her pale features, her emerald eyes glowing. "Would you listen to yourself?"

Kim sat up straighter, wincing from the exertion, but she made no reply.

Shego finally caught on to the reason for Kim's reluctance. She sighed exasperatedly, "Oh, come on!" She even rolled her eyes. "Whatever secret you have, it's safe with me. I give you my word no one will find out."

Kim relented finally, sighing in resignation. "Alright, alright – just help me get to the bathroom." She slowly swung her legs around to hang off the couch, but waited another moment before pushing to stand up on her own. She swayed unsteadily for a second and then started slowly moving toward the short hallway of her apartment. _This definitely isn't fun,_ she thought to herself. "I don't remember it being this painful…" she said aloud, mostly to herself.

"Here." Shego stepped forward and scooped Kim up into her arms, totally fearless of her hand's effect on Kim's skin. The gloves she'd slipped on were apparently more than just leather, as they completely blocked the plasma energy that she couldn't control. The villain suddenly grinned down at the woman in her arms, "so much for your immunity to me, huh?"

Kim smiled faintly as her eyes closed. She hadn't fought Shego for so long, she had almost forgotten how quickly fighting the pain could tire her out. "Just wait until you see how it heals."

Shego turned the corner and entered the bathroom. "So, what am I looking for?" She set Kim down on the floor and started digging through the cupboards. It was evident that she wasn't finding what she was looking for, because she started to sound more worried. "Come on – hurry up, Kim. Before that burn spreads down your arm."

Resigned to telling her foe one of her biggest secrets, Kim smiled at Shego's apparent ignorance. "This burn won't get any worse; you don't have to worry about that."

Surprised, Shego turned away from the cupboards and stared at her. "How do you figure that?" Her voice took on a curious tone.

Kim shrugged and moved to sit down on the side of the bathtub. "That's simple – they never have. My immune system isn't good enough to heal the burns completely, but it _does_ stop it from getting any worse." She pointed past the tight leather-clad villain. "Pass me that cup." She indicated the cheap green plastic cup that stood by Shego's right elbow.

Shego tossed the cup to Kim, but didn't turn back to the counter. "Your immune system? That's the worst lie I've ever heard, Kim." She grinned at the situation, "I doubt that having a drink is gonna help that burn. What are you doing – hoping I'll leave so you can pull out your secret meds?"

Kim chuckled humourlessly at that, "just watch." She turned one of the taps on to full and held the cup under the faucet, "and learn…" Leaning forward over the tub, she poured the full cup over her burned shoulder. At first contact, Kim winced at the sharp sting – almost like rubbing alcohol –, but then the normal numbness spread from her shoulder down her arm, following the same path as the water running down to drip off her fingers. The numb sensation faded for a moment, and then Kim was treated to the sight of her burned skin flaking off as new, healthy tissue grew to replace the dead cells. The blackened chips of skin fell into the tub and were carried down the drain. Kim refilled the cup and poured it over her shoulder a few more times before turning her attention to washing the rest of the dead skin down the drain. Within fifteen seconds, Kim's shoulder had been completely healed, and the only evidence that she'd treated herself was her soaked left arm.

Her black t-shirt, on the other hand, was ruined. It had a ragged, black-edged hole burned through it, revealing a large patch of her freshly-healed shoulder. Kim looked over her shoulder at Shego's wide-eyed expression and couldn't help but smile at her expense. "You owe me a new shirt, Shego."

The villain didn't seem to hear her. "Whoa…" she whispered, staring at Kim's healed shoulder in awe. Slowly, hesitatingly, Shego reached out one gloved hand and brushed it over Kim's soaked shoulder, feeling the completely healed muscle tissue under the ruined t-shirt. "I don't believe it. _This_ is your secret – water?" She looked closely at the burn marks around the hole in Kim's shirt. "That's amazing."

Kim smiled faintly. "Just wait until you get over the surprise of it all." She fully expected the raven-haired villain to capitalize on her new knowledge and find a way to combat Kim's freshly revealed secret. _Just what happens when she finally figures out how much she can profit from this? I'll probably have to move – change my identity. The old ghosts are going to be coming back to haunt me. And they'll have a weapon against me this time. Oh well, it's not like I had much choice._

Something flickered in Shego's eyes as she continued to stare at Kim, and her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. "Don't be so sure about that, Kim." She relaxed and allowed a grin to plaster itself to on her face. "Man, this is cooler than anything Drakken ever came up with."

Kim's smile vanished and she turned to pull a towel off the rack, attacking her soaked arm with it. "So, what are you going to do now that you know my secret?"

Shego's grin only widened and her eyes brightened until they were almost glowing. "Aw, what's the matter, _Kimmie_?" Her tone was amused, and her smile twisted into a sardonic grin. "Afraid I'll tell your enemies to move to the desert – that a dry climate will limit your efficiency?" Shego suddenly threw her head back and laughed as if that was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard. It was far from an unpleasant sound. "Oh, come on, Kim! I'm a thief, but I have enough honour to keep my own promises. I've already told you that your secret's safe with me. Besides," she frowned a little, "I don't want to have anything to do with snakes like Drakken."

Kim allowed herself to relax as she dried off her arm and shoulder and then walked out of the bathroom, rolling her shoulder around a little to make sure it had all healed properly. It always healed right, but...you could never be too careful. She sensed Shego following behind her and smiled thinly. "So, you're a free agent now, eh?" Her smile widened.

Shego snorted and pulled her gloves off, tucking them into a pocket of her green-and-black jumpsuit. "Whatever. I just don't need a partner I can't trust," her eyes flicked over to Kim for the briefest of moments.

Kim was digging some food out of the fridge, so she didn't catch the peculiar expression that crossed Shego's face before fading behind her mask of indifference. "Well, if you're going to take this bet of ours seriously, you'd better get going..." Standing from the lower shelves of the fridge, Kim turned to face Shego for a moment. _Huh?_ She looked around uncertainly. She'd just sensed something… _What was that? An emotion – still floating around in the air – but what emotion? It seems familiar somehow. I've felt it before, either myself or from someone else. Well, I know my telepathy can't pick up my own emotions, so I must be sensing Shego's feelings. So, she's feeling something, but what? Well, the answer will come to me, I guess. _Kim shrugged and slid a plate of leftovers into the microwave before turning back to her guest. "As soon as that food's been eaten," she jerked her thumb back at the slowly revolving plate, "you're as good as caught." She grinned in spite of herself.

Shego's mask slipped as a predatory light gleamed from her green eyes. "Don't count your chickens, Kimmie." She headed for the door to Kim's balcony, sweeping her clawed climbing gloves and one of the leather pairs off the coffee table as she passed. "See you at dawn, Kim." She slipped on her climbing gloves and grabbed the railing, vaulting up and past Kim's apartment to the roof.

The silence in Kim's apartment was broken only by the soft beeping of the microwave once her food was done cooking. Without thinking, she pulled the leftover pizza out and bit into a piece, still staring at her balcony railing as if Shego was still standing there.

Kim continued to stare after Shego even once both slices of the leftover all dressed pizza were gone. She ran through the conversation and the things she'd learned in the past fifteen minutes. She watched the sky darken to pitch darkness, the sun having already sunk below the horizon.

"Something's different about you," she finally said aloud to her empty apartment. "I don't know what it is that's changed, but there's something unusual. You still look the same, and you talk the same, but still…_what_ is it?" Kim drifted across her dwelling and into her bedroom, intending to change into her trademark mission clothes. She'd just reached down to pull off her burned t-shirt when a strange thought hit her.

_Am I talking about Shego or myself?_

* * *

And the hunt is on. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Although...it might be awhile because while I have quite a bit written out, I still have to move it onto my computer, and then edit and upload. Shouldn't take too long.

I hope.

R&R, fellas and fillies!


	3. A Friend's Musings

Okay, so here we are (finally) at Chapter 3.

Disclaimer: I will once again repeat myself: I DO NOT OWN KIM POSSIBLE. Kim Possible belongs to the Walt Disney Corporation, for which I'm grateful. Although, they seem to have tried to kill a certain population of Kigo worshippers with a certain fight scene in "So The Drama," but I digress.

Remarks: Okay, here we get a little more unrealistic in my already off-the-wall AU story. Here we learn of Shego's secret powers, cuz let's face it – it's not fair of me to give Kim all the cool stuff. We'll also see why she became a villain in the first place or one the reasons anyway.

On with the insanity!

* * *

_What am I doing?_

Shego stood on the roof of Kim's apartment building, pacing silently.

Ever since her last fight with Kim, Shego had been on the run, but not in any way that she had ever run before. She had never been compelled to hide from herself before. She'd lived her entire life the way she wanted. Shego had bowed before no one, not even Drakken. Sure, she had tolerated him, but only because their relationship had been symbiotic in a way. Drakken would pay her exorbitant sums of money in return for her skills – nothing more. It was a wonder he had put up with her indifference and frequent hostility for so long, but it made sense once she'd learned that he hadn't been the most honest employer. Of course, after she learned that, who could question why he had taken her abuse? Then number one rule of Megalomaniac/Sidekick relations was, _"If you're lying to your sidekick, keep her happy and keep her ignorant."_ Shego had mostly stayed because Drakken catered to her every request. Clothes, money, toys…If she had only asked, he would provide. She had also stayed because if she left, she would have to take care of the menial, boring tasks such as acquiring food and shelter. With Drakken, those useless tasks were all in his tiny, black-gloved hands, and all Shego had to do was steal some kind of doodad for him every so often.

Yes, Shego's entire life had been lived the way she wanted it, so why would she run from it?

Then again, she'd never been faced with a truth that so disturbed her normal world. Needless to say, she had found hiding from herself close to impossible to accomplish. No matter where she went and no matter what she did, her traitorous heart would follow, taunting her constantly with a reality she could not bear to accept.

And now, she found herself playing this game of Cat and Mouse with the woman who had once been her greatest enemy – the girl that she had hated more than anything else – all because of the utterly shocking truth she'd discovered upon waking up from their last fight.

Shego closed her eyes. She could remember it so clearly now.

She could still feel the uncomfortably stiff mattress beneath her body as she woke up in the pitifully under-equipped infirmary of Drakken's lair. She could still smell the disinfectant his doctors had used on the few shallow cuts she'd sustained in that fight. That was a little redundant since Shego's "accident" had also boosted her body's healing rate, making her curse an out-of-balance mixed blessing. She always thought it leaned considerably more to the _curse_ side than the other, but she tried to keep that to herself.

Shego could remember how she'd woken up disoriented and confused; that last thing she remembered was that fight with Kim Possible. She had stared into Kim Possible's bright green eyes as she dodged a punch from the hate-filled villain to counter with a punishing left hook, and then a massive sensory overload from…somewhere – most likely her head as Kim had thrown her into one of the silo's computer consoles. There was pain, the flash of stars, and then nothing.

* * *

**(((Flashback)))**

_The raven-haired sidekick awoke to the sound of soft music playing by her left ear. For a few minutes, she let herself just lie on the bed with her eyes closed lightly, listening to the quiet music of her favourite radio station. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the nauseatingly stale air of the infirmary and felt her mind go blissfully blank, letting the gentle sounds wash over her._

_Finally, Shego opened her eyes and looked to her left to see where the music was coming from._

_Strangely, all she saw was an ordinary clock/radio. It took a moment for it to register, but Shego couldn't figure out how the radio could be picking up that station if they were still in the Lair – two thousand miles outside the station's broadcast range._

_But then she remembered…_

_She'd been in the midst of fighting her nemesis, that goody-goody cheerleader, Kim Possible, when she'd been knocked out. That inevitably meant Drakken had been forced to relocate since without his sidekick he couldn't even wipe his own nose._

That music must mean we're in the Montreal Lair_, she thought. That was fine with her. The Montreal lair had become the place Drakken would retreat to in order to plot his next bizarre and not-so-brilliant scheme. So, thanks to the ever-troublesome Kim Possible, Shego had spent most of her time in Doctor D's employ bouncing around the complex of the Montreal lair. Although, now that she thought about it, Shego realized it was also because of the teen heroine that she had come to love this radio station so much. A mixed blessing if she thought about it._

_Shego felt an inexplicably familiar stab of pain in her head and grimaced, grabbing her head in one hand and tightening the other into a fist. "Ow… headache," she mumbled to herself, rubbing her temples._

_Then, as if brought on by Shego's sudden headache, a hurricane of images flooded in from the back of her mind. _Ahh!_ Shego couldn't scream out loud; the violence of the spontaneous slideshow wouldn't allow any impulses to make it from her brain to their destinations._

_Shego collapsed back onto the infirmary bed and drew her legs up to her chest, curling up into a fetal position as her skull seemed to shrink on itself._

_The images, thoughts, and memories that swept through her head like a tidal wave were clearly not her own, as she could recall nothing of their like having ever happened to her. She had never before been to half the places in these memories, she hadn't ever had any of these memories, and she had certainly never been the centerpiece of a high school cheerleading squad routine._

_That was the first clear memory that entered Shego's head. She was standing atop an incredible five-story pyramid of ecstatic cheerleaders. The organization was impressive to say the least, but Shego only had a single heartbeat in time to admire the choreography of the routine before that memory was thrown to the back of her mind, taking a backseat to another image._

_Whoever's body Shego was in now was seated at a table in a restaurant. No…it was that fast-food place that Shego and Kim had almost destroyed with their first life-or-death fight. That look of confused denial had almost thrown Shego's hatred at finally facing the cheerleader and making her pay for annihilating her ability to have a normal social life – hell _any_ kind of social life. What was this place – Bueno Nacho was it? Shego recognised the place immediately through the haze of her headache of a thousand knives, if not its name. This tiniest clip in time showed Possible's friend, Stoppable, attempting to cram an entire taco into his mouth while his pet rodent worked on its own horrid monstrosity – some kind of mutant combination of taco and nacho. Shego would have shuddered at the sight, if she wasn't…distracted._

_Shego had a sneaking suspicion that she knew whose body her mind had been transplanted to – who's memories these were –, but her mind was focused too much on the images themselves and the pile driver on her head to form any coherent, word-shaped thoughts._

_Then, a new flood of memories hit her like a bolt of lightning, so fast, so intense, that she could only capture a single image out of every dozen or so. This time, the memories seemed to jump between owners without any kind of order._

_Kim's little blue communicator, showing the face of her long-time hacker ally, a ten-year-old boy…a toxic waste drum – labelled with a blatantly obvious bio-hazard sticker, with lines of information about the dirty container's contents written below it…an expression of both confusion and surprise in Possible's eyes…a vial of bubbling, acid green liquid emptying…her own hands – red, dried, and cracked, oozing blood from dozens of lesions…Kim Possible clad in a cheerleader uniform, wearing an expression of stubborn denial…Doctor D – defeated –, running scared with a defiant Shego in tow…Shego, hands blazing green, glaring with a look of pure, undiluted hatred and rage…Kim – hands braced on Shego's shoulders –, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes in concentration…Kim, eyes wide in disbelief and horror…Shego, plummeting down from the sky, blazing hands spread wide to catch her prey no matter which direction they jumped…Kim, dodging an emerald-green plasma ball… Kim leaping out of a death trap…Shego dodging a swinging arm…Kim jumping…fighting…running…_

_Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the torrent of intrusive images ceased and Shego found herself back in her bed in the Infirmary of the Fall-Back lair. She rubbed at her eyes for a few seconds and tried to remember exactly what had happened to her before waking up…here. She remembered pacing in that missile silo control room, bored out of her mind, muttering an insult or two under her breath…and then that massive headache that had only lasted a second before Kim Possible herself dropped into the room. That headache had started the exact same way as the one just a few seconds earlier – an abrupt, sharp needle of pain in her skull. Now, waking up here and getting the same headache, but different…it was like her mind had downloaded something in the silo, but had taken in the information too fast for her conscious mind to catch. Was her subconscious replaying the information slower for her? If so, it was doing a lousy job. That…episode hadn't been quite slow enough to give her anything more than a migraine._

_Sitting up slowly, Shego looked down at her hands and cautiously removed her left glove. Her hands had indeed been scarred after the accident, but the recovery abilities that toxic waste had bestowed upon her had repaired that damage within a week. Her hands had eventually returned to their normal healthy appearance, save for the pale green skin pigmentation and the whole plasma thing._

_Just as she slipped the glove back on, the door to Shego's private room in the infirmary burst open and Drakken strutted in a wide, silly grin on his face. He was probably going for malicious, but the disturbingly childish shade of his face was against him. He looked like a teletubbie sometimes. "Ah, Shego!" He beamed, stopping at the foot of her bed, "It is time to make our comeback and bring the World TO ITS KNEES!"_

_Shego was too drained from her recent head-trip to come up with a snide remark, although she was sure there was one she could use._

_After a moment, the blue-faced mad scientist snapped his fingers at her, "Well? Chop chop, missy! I don't have all day, you know."_

_Shego scowled, imagining what her fragile employer would look like as wall paint but decided against testing her theory. Instead, she just vaulted off the bed, thanking God for one of the only times for her considerable recovery abilities. Then, while stubbornly refusing to smile at her approval of her boss' idea, she strode out of the room, heading for her quarters. Once there, past the thick and well-recognised green-and-black steel door and in the privacy of her own four walls, she finally allowed her forbidding expression to break down, grinning in anticipation._

_A come-back sounded good._

_She'd deal with the memory flashes if they came again. If nothing else, returning to the action would giver her something to distract her away from the flashes and give her a chance to exert some control over them. There was something significant hidden in the tornado of thoughts and it disturbed her that she couldn't figure it out on her own. There was definitely something in there that she wanted to know – needed to know._

_And, since "returning to the action" had become synonymous with running into Kim Possible and her tag-along rodent with his mole-rat, Shego was looking forward to exacting some punishment on the heroine for yet another hateful attack on her. Was it not enough that goody-two-shoes had destroyed Shego's hands? Now she had to douse her with some hallucinogen to torment her further? Kim would pay for this._

_Shego tore off her gloves and dropped them to the carpet. Reaching out, she picked up her desk chair with one hand and watched it disintegrate under her touch. Her smile widened, her eyes almost glowing._

Yes…

_Kim Possible would definitely pay for this._

**(((End Flashback)))**

* * *

Shego sneered at the memory.

She'd been so blind.

Over the next few weeks, the memory flashes had continued to unravel information into her head. It was mostly mundane stuff that she promptly forced herself to forget for the sake of her sanity. Each lapse had lasted longer than the previous, and Shego was able to glean a little more insight into the girl who was Kim Possible. After a while, Shego's own memories stopped being involved altogether, and she only saw the images through her enemy's eyes for those endless few seconds that pounded against her head, making her want to claw her eyes out – as if that would help.

After three weeks, the bombshell had finally hit her.

During yet another headache-causing head-trip, Shego had completely relived the entire scene in the toxic waste storage plant where she'd first met Kim Possible, but from the redhead's perspective. Kim's own thoughts and first impressions of Shego upon first meeting her had been revealed in that flashback. It had been an eye-opening few minutes, to say the least. From what she heard and felt in that memory, Shego knew without a doubt that Kim could not have infected her hands and body with any kind of toxic cocktail of mutagenic formulae.

In that fight, Kim had felt nothing but curiosity at her new opponent's motives for throwing in with the likes of Drakken, wonder at her impressive fighting technique, excitement at the thrill of risking bodily harm for once since henchmen were so far beneath her they were subterranean, and respect for Shego's all-too-evident skill. There had been some fear in Kim's mind, but not for her own safety. Her blond sidekick hadn't been seen since they entered the plant together, and Kim knew how clumsy the boy could be. That thought had raised Shego's attention, but only briefly once a new fact drew her attention like a magnet.

For the fiery cheerleader to both respect Shego as a person and opponent and secretly destroy her personal life by way of volatile chemistry would require her to be insane or unbelievable malevolent. And if there was one thing that Shego had known back when she'd succumbed to these oh-so-annoying flashbacks, it was that Kim Possible was perfectly sane; arrogant and violent in their fights, but sane. And, since the great Kim Possible allegedly fought on the side that was _against_ the megalomaniacs and villains, it was a safe bet that she wasn't evil – unless she was just biding her time. But Kim didn't seem like the type to be patient enough for that – not as far as Shego could tell. There was also the small fact that Kim had been nowhere near the villain when the unstable chemicals were spilled on her, mutating her DNA and turning her into a human glow-worm. Ick.

It hadn't taken a genius to move from that step to confronting Drakken about what really happened in that plant. He'd offered the information all-too-willingly after one broken finger, presumably to stave off Shego's anger at not getting the answers she wanted. Of course, in admitting to what had actually transpired he just switched Shego's anger for her far more unstable wrath.

Shego remembered clearly her former boss' shrill screams as she'd thrown him around like a dodge ball, decking the few henchmen that tried to stop her with the flailing body of their own employer. And that had only been the starting round of Shego's rampage. When she was finally finished with Drakken several hours later, his normally pale-blue skin had become several dozen shades darker, with some black thrown in at some places. The giant bruise-man had lost consciousness wailing for mercy, to which his enraged sidekick had only replied with a spinning kick that only Kim Possible had ever managed to avoid or block.

Fortunately for Drakken, Shego had been wearing her Almleti-lined leather gloves at the time, so he sustained no radiation damage. By no means had it been an act of mercy on her part, however, but simply a matter of circumstances. Shego had always worn her almleti-lined gloves in the various lairs they'd occupied in the past, switching them for a pure-leather pair only when leaving the lair or when Drakken neared completion of his current scheme, since Kim Possible had a nasty habit of usually showing up when the mad scientist was just one step away from achieving global conquest. Of course, Shego always suspected that if Kim failed to show up just once, Drakken would just end up vaporizing himself, because the cosmos seemed to simply dislike the creep. But, all the same, even when Drakken _wasn't_ close to finishing his latest doomsday device, Shego always had a pair of straight-leather gloves on hand – just in case.

On the other hand, it might not have been fortunate for Drakken that she'd been wearing her almleti-lined gloves. While a millimetre-and-a-half wasn't much, that much almleti sheeting packed quite a wallop, especially with a woman like Shego behind it, caught up in the throes of uncontrollable fury. The leather outer shell of those gloves had been torn to shreds by the time she'd finally let her freshly revealed tormenter slip into the blessed sleep of unconsciousness.

The memory of Drakken's body twitching reflexively at her feet brought a cruel smirk to Shego's thin black lips. That bastard should have known better than to break and tell her the truth. Did he think that her three years of loyalty would hold her back? Her laughable excuse of a contract was nothing more than a piece of paper. The legal repercussions of attempted murder against her employer didn't frighten her. She was a criminal for God's sake!

Besides, she'd shifted enough assets to an alternate identity – buried so deep in the system not even that great hacker-nerd of Kim's could detect her connection to the infamous Shego –, that even if Drakken found the stones to take legal action against her, she'd lose little more than thirty percent of her hard-earned and inherited money.

Of course, loose ends had a tendency to come back to bite you in the ass, but Drakken was an easy thread to cut. He had no martial arts training of any kind, no henchmen that could match her, and for some odd reason, he'd never thought that he'd have to fight his own sidekick. Add to that the fact that he was already unconscious at her feet, and Drakken was one boot-scrape away from being a corpse.

But her satisfaction had been stolen from her, by Kim Possible no less. The fact that the redheaded heroine hadn't actually appeared physically only made it more frustrating.

Another of Kim's flashbacks had invaded Shego's mind just as she was about to deal the finishing blow between the unseeing eyes of the convulsing and bleeding mad scientist. It might not have been as bad if that head-trip revealed nothing so Shego could go back to putting Drakken out of his misery. As it happened, however, this particular mental slideshow had opened the villainess' eyes to a truth that she could never have prepared herself for. The revelations revealed to her then, in all their glaring truth, had so shaken the world Shego had constructed around herself that she'd fled from the lair, leaving the crippled scientist behind for anyone who cared to get him some medical attention. The initial terror of her new knowledge had so deeply cut at her soul that she'd left behind the snake that had destroyed her life so she could vanish into the night before Kim Possible inevitably located the lair and infiltrated it.

_That_ spontaneous slideshow had been the last one to hit Shego, telling her that she'd learned everything she was ever going to from that second-long headache she'd gotten in the Saharan missile silo. It had contained only Shego – a thousand snapshot memories through Kim's eyes. Shego throwing one of the thousands of punches she'd aimed at the redheaded heroine…standing atop a stack of boxes with a victorious smirk…hair flying as she herself dodged one of Kim's punches…leaping over a kick…casually tossing a flaming ball of plasma straight at Kim…diving down from her perch on a rock in an attempt to pound Kim Possible into the dirt…smiling cruelly in the wake of one of her frequently used taunts…smirking in response to one of Kim's witty quips…dropping down into an attack posture before exploding forward, grinning the entire time…

For the longest time, Shego had refused to acknowledge the revelation she'd had about herself in the wake of the last memory flash. After three years spent despising Kim for a crime Shego had just learned had been committed by someone else, she'd thought that it would take forever to come to terms with the realization that it was in fact _she_ who had wronged _Kim_ by hating her so baselessly. It made sense that she was supposed to feel like less than dirt for having hated someone so passionately without any basis for that hatred. First you learn the truth, and then you deal with it, right?

In reality, Shego discovered that she'd done the opposite. She had dealt with the fact that Kim wasn't responsible long before she'd actually learned the truth. The older woman's hatred for Kim had long since drifted away from the genuine, becoming an act, a reflex trained into her by Drakken's own open dislike for the teen heroine. Any _real_ traces of her old hatred and rage had faded away long before the fight in that African missile silo, perhaps even as long ago as one of her earlier encounters with the vigilante. As time had gone by, and she'd repeatedly encountered the alleged DNA vandal, Shego had begun to see, if only subconsciously, that Kim was no more responsible for her condition than the sidekick's mole-rat.

Of course, on the surface, Shego had always been all-too-open with her hatred for Kim Possible – even going as far as to fall for her own habitual reaction to Kim's presence. It was kind of funny how the subconscious could run off and do its own thing while leaving the conscious mind happy and clueless. Shego had never gotten the slightest hint about her inner being's change of heart until the memory flashes had started up – and then ended quite abruptly.

But that last flashback had completely shaken the villain's world not only with her own self-revelation, but with an incredible insight into Kim Possible's mind and the heroine's own perception of the villain. What she found there had changed not only her perception of the redheaded cheerleader-heroine, but of herself as well.

Kim Possible cared for her.

Actually cared for her. Kim Possible – _the_ Kim Possible, teen heroine and defender against all super-villains –, had actually begun to _care_ about Shego, her most dangerous enemy. The irony wasn't lost on the older woman. Though the fiery redhead had fought Shego on an almost weekly basis and faced the midnight-haired villain's inexplicable hatred and rage, she had somehow grown to respect and – _appreciate_ Shego's skill and conviction, how she continued to follow the side she'd chosen without regrets. The fact that the super-criminal's choices had led her to a life that was the polar opposite of Kim's didn't change the reality that Shego was not a fence-sitter.

In their oh-so-frequent fights, though Shego would take every opportunity to destroy the heroine whom she perceived as the soulless bane of her existence, Kim had never retaliated in kind. She had always simply held her ground against the wild villainess, and she would never push any farther than she needed to in order to get the job done. Shego was certain that the redhead would have gotten a lot of flak from Global Justice for that. As far as the international crime-fighting syndicate was concerned, Shego was little more than a criminal without a cell – a problem they wanted very much to fix. Shego snorted. _Ha…too bad the only crimefighter in existence that could take me didn't want to kill me. I'll bet that gave Director some headaches._

It had almost been like Kim was afraid to cause any sort of lasting harm to her opponent – the complete opposite of Shego's enforced perception of the heroine. So, over the three years that they'd regularly seen and fought each other, Kim had gradually grown to like Shego for the vigorous workout she always challenged her with, had actually looked forward to the call from Wade that would bring her to Drakken's doorstep with the promise of a thorough test of her abilities.

In fact, those few times that Kim had confronted Drakken with Shego nowhere in sight to save the coward, the first thought to cross the heroine's mind had never been relief for herself or the sidekick. Over time, when it had become evident that Kim was only confused by Shego's unbearable hatred, an enraged Shego would use the blonde, sports-jersey-wearing freak as her pincushion. She had rarely ever actually hit the blonde doofus, but it had always seemed to bother Kim more when Shego attacked him on an intellectual level. This in turn had led to Kim always sending him off to fight Drakken alone while she dealt with the greater threat.

No, the first thought to cross Kim's mind when she saw Drakken and not Shego was actually worry for the villainess' welfare. _God_, the girl would think. _I hope she hasn't gone and hurt herself._

In looking at Kim's feelings for her, Shego had always tried to shy away from using any word that could be remotely related to _love_. It was an absurd notion, really, and not one that Shego had ever imagined would come so close to the safe place she'd carved for herself out of this big unforgiving world. Eventually, however, after an entire year with nothing but her own thoughts to keep battering away at her stubborn denial, she had finally given in. For the first time in memory, Shego had voluntarily surrendered a fight when there had been no reason for it. No reinforcements had appeared to stand against her, no blows had weakened her, physical or otherwise.

No, she had just grown _tired_.

Tired of fighting this constant, nagging voice that always berated her with a truth she didn't want any idea of, this infuriating fact that challenged everything she believed in, Shego had finally stared into the mirror and admitted what she had known to be true for a long time. She had simply never seen it hanging in front of her, so close she could almost see it. It had snuck up behind her and finally taken hold until she'd finally accepted it.

Kim Possible had fallen in Love with her.

Shego had never made any attempts to attract the redheaded heroine, but it had happened all the same. Somehow, in the midst of gaining respect and admiration for her, Kim had come to know Shego the person, the girl, the woman. Sometime between their first meeting and that last fight in the missile silo, Kim had come to know at least a little of what made Shego – well, _Shego_. The younger girl had come to see a little of why Shego hated her so much. It was obvious once she saw how little the villain could interact with anyone on a personal level. And it was also obvious that Kim believed no one should be so isolated from the world unless by choice.

And having burning, plasma-emitting hands that burned anyone she got close to was most definitely _not_ Shego's choice.

So, somehow, somewhere, Kim had first grown to sympathise with the tragic figure that Shego hid behind her brash and arrogant sneer. After that, the fiery redhead had come to love everything about her arch-foe – the way her hair flew around her face as they fought, the ease with which playful banter flowed across her dark-painted lips, the eye-catching contrast of the green and black in her outfit, the way her vibrant green eyes would glow with excitement in the heat of a fight…

Shego had never been able to tell if Kim was – or ever had been – aware of her own feelings, but after four years of questioning herself and pointlessly philosophising "what-if" scenarios, she had decided that it was time to get the answers straight from her own former nemesis. And now that she had finally managed to get up the courage to approach the young woman, Shego felt that old thrill return to her, reborn the moment she'd seen Kim walk into her own apartment with the wanted criminal already hanging out there. She hadn't realized it was gone until it surged back to the front of her mind, filling every fibre of her being with a boundless energy that made her feel…_alive_. Now, that old excitement was back and Shego wasn't going to let it slip away this time. This time, she would shadow her old enemy everywhere, even resorting to jacking her car if it would rekindle the flame of competition she knew was just under the surface of the former heroine's mind. Anything to keep that thrill alive this time.

She'd spent the last six months preparing for this very night. She'd planned every detail of her scheme and executed it with an efficiency that she had never let Drakken know she possessed. Her plan was simple, yet required several key points to fall into place just…so for it to succeed. Her first objective had been to break into Kim's apartment and surprise her there. Originally, she would have knocked the girl out, tied her up, and then started the old fight back up right off the bat, but something had told her that would be a bad idea. So, instead, she'd simply lounged on Kim's couches for hours until she felt that familiar…aura approaching the apartment from the direction of one of the stairwells. Once that had been accomplished, the next goal was to surprise Kim and _not_ get attacked. It had been unlikely that Kim would launch herself at the villain unless Shego first insulted her – it was just the way it always had been; Shego was always the one to make the first move, hence the scheme she'd painstakingly pieced together. Both steps had gone off rather well, and the heroine's eagerness to play Shego's game boded well for the rest of the woman's plan.

The plan at the moment was to get Kim alone and off-balance so Shego could figure out how aware the ex-heroine was of her feelings for the raven-haired villain. To do that, she had to win this game of theirs. _Not a difficult game to win, either. Especially when little-miss-Perfect down there has no idea what it takes to be a mouse in the cat-and-mouse game._

_And speak of the Devil…_

Shego heard the balcony door slide open in the sixth-floor apartment below her, and then a short burst of footsteps – boots, by the sound of them. _So, Kim's going full-hero mode, is she? Maybe this'll be more fun than I thought…_ Shego crept to the edge of the roof and peered down carefully, using her sixth sense to gauge the lone woman's state of mind.

Unlike Kim, Shego wasn't a full telepath – but she _did_ have her own form of ESP. It had been one of the deciding factors in her decision to become a villain and then a right-hand henchwoman, thus leading her to meet Kim, the most infuriating, frustratingly innocent, and – most inexplicable of all – irresistibly endearing know-it-all Shego had ever had the good fortune to meet.

Ever since she could string two words together, Shego had gone through periods of time when she'd copy other people's emotions. Whenever her parents would argue, she herself would become upset and angry, causing the formerly incensed adults to turn to her in worry, resulting in a calming effect on the baby Shego. Her parents had never been able to explain it, even after Shego had finally discovered the true nature of her copy-cat personality. Once she had reached an age where she could reason – both with herself and others -, albeit in a very odd, child-logic kind of way, Shego began to see that her tendency to mimic the emotions of the people around her was, in fact, a controllable side-effect of a power she was only then beginning to understand. Over time, and with continued practice, Shego learned to block out everyone else's feelings, leaving her with only her own. But that wasn't all.

As it turned out, Shego's ability was that she could actually _feed_ off of people's emotions. It was an unusual – and somewhat creepy – concept, but she'd learned to live with the oddity, _especially_ once she'd grown much older and had her life turned upside down by a blue-skinned freak who thought he could con eternal loyalty without consequence. This little facet of her power had been discovered early on in elementary school. Thankfully, being able to feed off people's fear or happiness didn't have any kind of affect on the people she fed from – at all. And of course, Shego couldn't get away from having to eat or drink…eventually, but she _had_ been able to go a couple days without food and still fight in top form against her annoyingly beautiful _Princess_. For simplicity's sake, Shego had decided to go with calling her power a form of empathy, but that wasn't quite accurate since she had no power to influence anything – she was nothing more than an observer or a receiver.

It wasn't until high school that Shego had really learned where her power had come from. To her, each emotion had its own feeling – a taste, a smell –, which fed Shego's mind, as well as her body to a lesser extent, making her more alert, more responsive to the outside world. She'd learned to control herself so she wouldn't succumb to the feelings of another, their sadness or anger, but the negative emotions tended to be the better ones in terms of flavour and energising power. And better still, she could feed off someone's rage – the most filling of all emotions she'd felt – without becoming enraged herself…unless she chose to, 'cuz let's face it – it was just plain fun.

So, Shego had become a villain so she could actively _cause_ many of these sweet negative emotions, creating a veritable feast of some of the best vibes she knew of. Fear, anger, rage, despair…they were all like the finest wines to Shego, and she had loved every drop she could get.

Of course, there _was_ one emotion she'd encountered that tasted far sweeter than any of the negative emotions, and it was neither good nor bad. It was pure excitement. An excited person gave off a scent not unlike lilies and dark chocolate, and tasted more like the chocolate than the flowers, much to Shego's satisfaction. In fact, the delicacy of excitement was what had caused Shego to fall in love with dark chocolate and that lily-scented shampoo she'd used for years. But nothing could ever compare to genuine excitement, straight from the tap as it were.

As Shego watched Kim and assessed her emotional state, she could only taste the barest hint of excitement, buried under heaps of confusion, apprehension, and nervousness. This was a jumbled mix of bland, shallow scent- flavours that Shego wouldn't touch with a Drakken-pole, an object she'd thought about creating only slightly less often than Drakken-paint, but only because impaling her _former_ employer on a pole would leave his vocal chords intact while turning him into wall paint would not. Shego was mildly disappointed at the scent-flavours her old rival was giving off. Normally, Kim Possible could be counted on to provide the most exquisite of emotions, but she wasn't delivering _nearly_ as well as normal. The presence of these emotions that tainted the typically luscious excitement told Shego that Kim wasn't comfortable – that she was out of her element, off her guard.

_Perfect_, Shego thought. _Let the hunt begin…_

Shego grinned as her quarry reached down with one hand to her familiar hip-holster, where she'd stowed her grappling hook launcher. _Of course_, the midnight-haired villain thought, glancing at the light traffic on the street six floors below. _Why do anything the easy way, eh Princess?_

With a small sight, Kim pulled out her launcher and aimed it across the street at the apartment building that had given away Shego's whereabouts after four years. She watched as Kim fired off the hook at a slight inclined angle, impaling the roof across the way precisely a hand-span below the edge.

Shego smiled approvingly as Kim set to anchoring her end of the wire. _Even after four years, your aim is still the best._

Instead of pulling out a motorized gripper to carry her across the wide city street, a device which Shego knew Kim would never use simply because it removed the thrill, Kim just vaulted over her balcony railing and started running across the half-centimetre thick wire, ignoring the six-story drop below her feet.

Shego's smile widened at the sight. _And just as fearless._

Her breath caught in her throat when the black and tan-clad redhead miss-stepped and started to topple off the wire, but then an unbelievable thing happened – unbelievable, that is, if you're anyone but Kim Possible or Shego –, a display of agility and unearthly beauty that Shego hadn't seen in four years.

Just as her left foot fell past the wire, Kim twisted herself so she fell straight down _past_ the wire – instead of pivoting around her foot and falling _away_ from it –. Then, reaching out her right hand, Kim grabbed onto the wire just as her right foot slipped off, and swung herself under and around to flip back up onto the treacherously slender tight rope. It was a manoeuvre so flawless, so fluid, so…_mesmerizing_, only Kim Possible could have pulled it off, and the entire swing-and-flip recovery was executed within the span of a single heartbeat.

And while Kim simply continued running across the wire as if she'd only hiccupped, Shego was floored by the image burned into her memory. _My God, Kim – when did you become so perfect?_

As she watched Kim slip once more before reaching the other side, recovering her footing the same way as before, Shego felt a strangely familiar tingle slither up her spine, accompanied by a sobering thought:

_Just how much have _my_ feelings for her changed?_

_And why am I suddenly afraid?_

* * *

Alright, there you have it. Is anyone still following? Is anyone still reading? Chapter 4 to come "soon".

Modified Disclaimer: Okay, I bent the truth a little. I may not own Kim Possible, but she makes a pretty mean older sister shudder, and her friend? Definitely Shego-worthy material. Yikes…


	4. Bad Omen, Strange Offer

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Fourth.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (Not yet, but eventually) - ie: two girls...together...a couple chapters down the line. You've been warned.

**Rating:** PG-15, apparently, but I've filed it under M just for the Hell of it. (Swearing – check)

**Spoilers:** None this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** See how professional I'm being? Don't be fooled. I don't own Kim Possible. The boys down South at the Walt Disney Corporation do, and they've done a bang-up job. Seriously though, the characters and gadgets displayed here are the sole property of Walt Disney. And, there aren't any other products or images that I need to mention for this chapter. Just a nice long talk between characters.

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw Kim and Shego, the girl was heading off to her meeting with our favourite Hacker, and the villain was indulging in a nice self-monologue or soliloquy. And so:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

As Kim flipped from the wire to the rooftop, landing in a crouch, she finally responded to the constantly changing emotions she was sensing from Shego.

She'd known right away that her rival had been watching her, and it had filled her with a little nervous apprehension. She could feel Shego's eyes on her, judging her to see if she'd retained her crime-fighting technique and form, even after four years in retirement. The ripple of satisfied admiration that swept across her from behind had completely surprised her, causing her to misstep and fall from the wire, forcing her to use a trick she'd only learned a few months earlier.

Then, Shego's admiration had leapt to an almost reverent respect, and Kim had heard her opponent's quiet thought, which caused her to slip again. _Perfect, am I? When did you become a fan of mine?_

Kim stood slowly from her crouch as Shego's thoughts drifted through her head. _Wait – Shego was worried about me?_ She thought about the jolt of fear, the primal thought that she had sensed from Shego just as she slipped the first time. Shego had been frozen with horror at the sight of Kim toppling off the wire to her death in the street 6 floors below. Kim looked back across the street at her own apartment from the building where she was supposed to meet Wade.

Shego wasn't there, unsurprisingly, but Kim could sense the constantly changing mixture of confusion, anticipation, and excitement coming from somewhere close by. Kim closed her eyes again and tried to judge how long it should take to track down her opponent in this game of theirs.

But then Shego's final thought whispered through her mind.

'_Just how much have _my _feelings for her changed?'_

Kim looked back at her apartment building again. So that's what this was about. Shego's hatred for her hadn't just faded – it had completely transformed, becoming something the raven-haired woman wasn't sure she wanted to admit.

Not even to herself.

A small whirring noise from above her head broke into her thoughts, forcing her to turn away from her analysis of Shego's thoughts and her own feelings. _But I'll get to the bottom of this before this night is through._

She looked up and watched a small hovercraft descending from the sky, landing in the space just beside the utility shed. It was about as long from nose to tail as Kim's outstretched arms, and had a wingspan of a little over one metre. The main fuselage was a little over twenty centimetres wide and its two semi-circular wings each had three vertical-blowing rotors imbedded in their five centimetre-thick frames. The amazing machine hardly made any noise as it moved, and was painted a very dark shade of grey. Kim could see from where she stood that the craft would be very difficult to spot by any visual means as well as by many common RADAR detection systems, thanks to its size.

Stepping up to the tiny hovercraft, Kim watched as a panel towards the tail end slid to one side to reveal an LCD screen slightly bigger than her Kimmunicator. A line of static appeared, and then Wade's face, lit by the glow from his half-a-dozen computer monitors. The young Central American teen wore an immense grin of satisfaction, and he seemed far more cheerful than normal. "Hey there, Kim. Do you like the ride? It's a prototype reconnaissance drone I'd originally designed for the Canadian military. We're still negotiating money though, so it's still mine until further notice."

Kim crouched down beside the hovercraft. "It's spankin', Wade, but I'd think you'd like to keep it for your own use."

Wade sobered a little. "Yeah – that's actually what the problem is with the negotiations. Personally, I'd be content to sell the plans for less as long as I get to keep the first generation model for my own personal use, but it's not my call."

Kim tilted her head to one side. Now that was odd. "'Not your call'? What's that supposed to mean, Wade? Since when did you take orders from anyone?"

He looked away for a moment. "You remember when you retired and Global Justice took over from you? They offered to keep you in the loop because of all your work, but you declined, wanting instead to completely retire. So, you don't know what's happened in the past four years. As soon as you were gone, Global Justice started to mutate. Doctor Director's gone, and so is Will Du. They both retired without any apparent reason, and so did about a hundred other people who supported what you did. You should know that Global Justice has become a mafia of sorts. They don't tolerate free-lancers like me anymore, so they threatened to shut me down unless I signed the contract they'd written up for me."

Kim gasped, "And you gave in?" She could barely believe what the teenaged hacker was saying.

The fifteen-year old didn't hesitate this time. "This is my passion, Kim. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't design and build this stuff." He looked at the computer monitors around him wildly. "They were going to shut me down! And there wouldn't be any morals to stop them from storming my house this time." He calmed just a little and his smile returned. "But, I managed to negotiate my contract a little into my favour." He looked around his room. "You'll notice I'm still in my old room, but GJ set me up in a lab of my own in their facility. One of the terms of my contract was that I would work and live in their facility for three weeks straight, locked in my lab, and then I get an entire week's vacation outside the base. So, the first week of every month, I'm in my room busting my butt designing gear that I don't have to give my superiors since I'm off the clock all week. Global Justice also assigned someone to replace you, and they made her my supervisor. She's my liaison with Global Justice; my contract forces me to give her anything I come up with when I'm on the clock."

Kim chuckled and shifted to a more comfortable position, sitting with her back against the steel-walled utility shed. She heard a soft whir and looked down to watch the small display screen turn to follow her movement. "So, there's a new Kim Possible on the scene, is there? How is she?"

Wade snorted derisively. "She's no Kim Possible. She doesn't even treat me like an adult like you did – like you still do."

"I doubt it's escaped your notice, Wade, but you're still in your teens. The new Kim doesn't see any reason to treat you as an adult." Kim hugged her knees to her chest and settled in for what promised to be a good long conversation spent catching up with one another.

Unfortunately, the dark-haired boy on the screen was still hung up on his own problem. "She could at least treat me like her equal; I was yours and you recognised that. But she acts like she owns me, or at least like she owns my life, which I suppose she does since my contract anchors me to her until GJ says differently." He sighed wearily. "These weeks off are the only time I can get away from her. She doesn't leave me alone when I'm on GJ property…always just barging in when I'm in the middle of a delicate experiment, turning on all the lights and disrupting everything. I've actually had to lock her out a few times, and then _I_ get in trouble for it!" His voice rose just a little in his quiet anger. "I mean, my superiors seem to forget that they've got my entire lab wired so tight I can't even sneeze without them catching the sound, wind-speed, and germ content. There's nothing I can do there that they don't see," He paused, but not quite long enough to allow Kim to voice her thoughts on this new side to an apparently Justice-minded organization. "And trust me on this one, Kim – she's nowhere near your calibre."

Kim smiled at the praise, but a thought nagged at her. "Wade, I thought I put away all the villains, so what does Neo-Kim do for a job?" Kim thought about the few villains who had opted for retirement instead of imprisonment. "Monkey Fist didn't come out of retirement, did he?"

Wade nodded quickly, "Yes he did, and so did a bunch of others too. A couple of the big ones escaped from Super-Alcatraz too. I tried to warn Global, but who's going to listen to a fifteen-year old? Aside from you I mean." He took a sip from a large drink cup. "A few new guys have come out of the woodwork too. No sign of Shego ever since that accidental shot from the news chopper. And, I swear the new schemes are even worse than the old ones. Monkey Fist is still after Ron, whose control over Monkey Magic has grown quite a bit since you last talked to him."

Kim arched an eyebrow at the boy. "And you know this…how?"

Wade grimaced, as if he hadn't intended to let that slip. "He got roped into working for GJ too. I think it has something to do with his girlfriend and a fake police report that could put her in jail for life."

"What?" Kim straightened. What the Hell was going on? The whole world had gone nuts it seemed. "_What _is going on with Global?"

Wade shook his head. "I'm telling you Kim – the longer I work for GJ and the more I find out about them, the more I'm regretting accepting your decision to retire. It seems like you're the only one who stood in the way of the new Global Justice's creation, despite the fact that neither of us even knew about the threat. You remember I told you both Doctor Director and Will Du were gone? Well, I didn't mean they'd just resigned without a reason – I meant they're _gone_, as in vanished off the face of the Earth. They're nowhere! I've had to dig a little but I've found evidence that could implicate Global Justice employees in their disappearances."

Kim was beyond stunned. "Are you serious?"

Wade nodded, and then glanced off to one side, looking away from his myriad collection of computer monitors. "I'm so sorry Kim, but I can't talk for much longer. I'll be back up and able to talk tomorrow, but this is the first time I've used my Scorpio encryption antenna, and it needs a little tweaking. Don't worry; I anticipated this so I've explained everything on the data files in your new Kimmunicator." He stabbed a button on his keyboard. It took a moment, but another panel on the hovercraft slid aside and a new jet-black Kimmunicator popped out of the revealed hole. "Just put your old one in the slot and I'll recycle it. I've explained all the upgrades on more data files, as well as everything that's been happening over the last four years. Oh, and one more thing," Wade manipulated his keyboard some more, and the entire front thirty centimetres of the hovercraft split and lifted up like a mouth, revealing a rather large storage space for such a small craft. "Here are some new goodies. Everything is explained in your Kimmunicator. My advice – don't use anything until you've seen the files for it. Now I've programmed the drone to return to me as soon as the Kimmunicator's been removed, and your old one inserted in its place, so whenever you're done, just send it on home." Wade paused, his finger hovering above the key he always pressed when he ended a transmission. He looked a little embarrassed, if Kim was any judge. "Sorry again for cutting our talk short but you'll understand if you get a chance to read my files." He looked away for a moment. "And, I know what you're thinking, Kim…you can't blame yourself for letting something happen that was out of your control. If you'd stayed, I know you think you could have been a heroine forever, but we both know you needed to quit and follow your own dream."

Kim laughed bitterly, mumbling under her breath, "and yet, I get the feeling I'm about to get dragged back in over this." She could still remember the long talk she'd had with Shego in her apartment, and it was a little disturbing how comfortable it had been. It felt good, but a little disturbing.

"What was that?" Wade's finger still hovered over his keyboard.

Kim shook her head, "nothing, Wade; just thinking. I'll see you around."

Wade nodded distractedly, his mind probably already focused on what he needed to do to "tweak" his Scorpio antenna. "Yeah, I'll talk to you later." The screen went dark.

After staring at the screen for a few seconds, Kim reached out with one hand and lifted the tail end of the hovercraft, causing several items to slide out of the front end and clatter to the rooftop she was on. Then, without hesitating, Kim pulled the black Kimmunicator out of the hovercraft's other storage space, fishing around her pockets for her old one.

True to Wade's word, as soon as she'd slid her old Kimmunicator into place, the cutting edge aircraft's six rotors started back up. The nose end closed, and the two panels slid closed over her old Kimmunicator and the four-inch LCD screen. A few seconds later, with a slight change in pitch, the hovercraft rose into the air and zipped out of sight, leaving Kim alone on a rooftop with four years' worth of upgrades.

Without taking the time to look at the new gadgets, Kim swept the entire pile into her green-and-black knapsack – there were a surprisingly small number of things on the roof, but Kim's mind wasn't on that any longer. She was thinking about everything she'd learned in the past five minutes. Whatever had happened to Global Justice, it had spooked Wade enough to bruise his eternally optimistic and independent spirit. During her years as a heroine, she'd turned down several dozen job offers from the worldwide crime-fighting organization, but Wade had turned down hundreds. Apparently, GJ had been in the market for more techies than agents, but Wade had turned them down every time.

Until now.

Kim shook her head. _Wade's right_, she thought,_ I can't blame myself for this mess; I washed my hands of that world. And as much as I find the current situation disgusting, I can't do anything because I'm not Kim Possible-Heroine anymore. Of course, that could all change if I came out of retirement, but right now…_ She glanced at her watch. _10:10. I can think about that later._ She stood and threw her bag around her shoulder.

_After I've won Shego's game._

* * *

_I'm so not going to win Shego's game._

Kim glanced at her watch for the fifth time in the past hour. _4:57 – dawn's going to be here soon._ She looked around one more time and then moved on down the street.

All night long, Kim had tried to track down her opponent in this hunt of theirs, but she hadn't been able to catch anything more than the barest glimpse of the older woman's flashy green bodysuit. The first few times she'd seen the briefest flash of that leather bodysuit, Kim had taken off to catch the super-villain before she could get away. Every time, however, the redhead would get to the corner or the window or the rooftop where she'd seen the swirl of colour and black-as-night hair only to find there was nothing. Wherever Shego was, she was good at this game.

And Kim was rapidly running out of time.

The most frustrating part of it was that she _knew_ that Shego was close. She had become used to the older woman's mind again – her unique "feel" – and had sensed her nearby all night long. Too bad for Kim, her telepathy had never been a very good compass. Shego could have been hiding behind a door and Kim wouldn't know any more than that she was…_close_.

Eventually, Kim had given up chasing after every green shadow she caught a glimpse of, because there was only a slim chance that it was actually the wanted criminal she was searching for. On more than one occasion, Kim had come within a hair's breadth of assaulting an innocent stranger in a green shirt or jacket. _And let's face it_, she thought,_ she's been in hiding for four years. What the Hell made me think I could beat her at a game of cat-and-mouse? The fact that I can beat her in a fight – most of the time? This right here is a different kind of game…and I'm afraid to say it but I'm losing. _Either Kim was being too obvious in her hunting, or Shego had a few tricks of her own.

She had made it all the way downtown on foot, all the while sensing Shego just out of sight somewhere close by, so close it was infuriating that Kim couldn't catch her. She considered using her elemental powers to give her an advantage, but realized almost immediately that it wasn't her style. On missions, she'd only ever used her elemental gift when she needed to heal herself from injuries; anything more was cheating in her opinion.

Sighing with frustration, Kim turned down an alley and hunted for a fire escape. Making a running leap, she grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder and started climbing for the roof of the short-ish ten-story building she'd arbitrarily chosen to ascend.

Two minutes later, she stood alone on the featureless powder covered cement roof of the office building below her. She looked East to see the top edge of the sun just beginning to rise over Mount Royal, shining between several other distant buildings as it crested the horizon and ended the game Kim seemed to have never had a chance of winning.

"Damn," she muttered.

Kim looked away from the sight when she realized that she wasn't as disappointed as she should have been. If nothing else, losing to Shego would give her another chance to try and figure out the older woman's mysterious change in heart – from pure, deluded hatred to an almost self-loathing guilt and attempt at friendship. Kim had spared little time in her hunt to make any theories about it, and now that the game was up, she found that she _still_ couldn't figure the super-thief out. _What's her real game,_ Kim wondered, moving to the centre of the roof and looking a little Northwest, back towards where her own apartment was, several hours' walk distant. _Shego's up to something, but I can't figure what it could possibly be. Is she trying to drive me insane? Prove once and for all that she's the better one?_

Sighing exasperatedly, Kim reached into her pocket and pulled out the card that Shego had given her back in the apartment and read the words off it. "Hmm," she looked back up toward the rising sun. _Pointe Claire village? What the Hell do I need to go there for?_ Finally, after thinking about it for a few minutes, Kim finally just hung her head, affecting an air of defeat despite the fact that she had the strange feeling that she'd actually won something. _But what?_ "Alright, Shego – you win."

"That's something I've always wanted to hear you say."

Kim wasn't surprised by her quarry's sudden appearance; she just turned slowly to face the night-haired woman with an amused smile. "I guess there never _has_ been a clear winner in our fights." She moved back to the edge of the building and sat down, sensing that her opponent didn't quite want to leave yet. "Of course, I'll always say that I won more often than not." Her smile turned a little feral. "You always ran when things got too hot."

Shego snorted, "Only because Drakken was getting beat by your sidekick and I needed to protect the bastard who signed my checks." She stood on the edge of the roof beside Kim, staring down at her. "You'll recall that I've gotten you tied up and captured often enough." Her amused expression took some of the sting out of her taunt. "So," Shego seemed to relax a little, "it looks like I win our little game."

Kim glared at the confident villainess. "But you cheated – _I_ was supposed to be chasing _you_ – not the other way around."

The black-and-green clad woman just smirked and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder, sitting down beside Kim with her legs dangling over the ten-story drop as if it was nothing new. "It's not my fault you're such a goody-two-shoes." She turned her confident smirk on Kim, letting out a dark laugh. "If you want to win next time, you'll just have to learn to fight dirty too." She let out a quiet sigh as she turned to look out over the city from their high-ish vantage point.

Kim turned at the sound to look at the profile view she had of Shego's face. _What was that? A sigh – from Shego? This is getting a little weird._ Shego's dark forest green eyes had a faraway look to them, as if she were immersed very deep in thought. Then, realizing something, Kim leaned a touch forward so she could look more closely at her one-time rival, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she studied the familiar face. "Wasn't your skin a lot paler in my apartment?" She sat back a bit. "And green?"

The older woman grinned suddenly and ran her black-gloved finger down her cheek, rubbing off a substantial amount of makeup. "I'm glad you noticed. This is how I've been avoiding detection from Global for so long." She grabbed hold of her flowing black hair and pulled, yanking off what had – until now – appeared to be her real hair. "_This_ helped too, as well as ditching the costume every once in a while."

Kim stood and stepped back from the villain, studying her disguise.

Since she was still wearing her green-and-black bodysuit, the effect wasn't very striking, but from the neck up, Shego looked nothing like Shego.

Her hair had been cut short, far higher than shoulder-length. She had barely any hair trailing down beyond mid-neck, revealing a large portion of her long neck all the way up to behind her ears. All around, her now cherry-red hair looked short enough to spike, a hairstyle that would do even more to draw attention away from her easily recognisable face. Shego's new skin colour, a sort of rosy-peach colour, was good enough to look natural. It was apparently a product of several carefully applied layers of makeup. A set of pale blue contact lenses and three fake freckles on her right cheek completed her disguise.

All in all, each part added together to transform Shego into, well…_not_ Shego.

Kim nodded slowly, a sly grin spreading across her face. "I'm impressed. With different clothes and a little gel, you could pass for an average University student." Her eyes brightened as she looked at Shego's hair again. "I like the colour."

A tiny, knowing smirk appeared on the still seated woman's face. "I thought you would." Then, a strange look passed behind her eyes as she stood from her place, stretching out her back and arms. "Working solo is easy, simple, and damn boring, but like I said before – I don't need a partner I can't trust." She glanced over at Kim.

This time, the redhead caught the look, and it didn't take long to see what her rival was getting at. "So _that's_ what this is about? Her eyes narrowed and her back stiffened, getting ready for a fight. "You're trying to make me go villain, is that it?"

Shego didn't seem to react at all to Kim's questions, and instead turned her head to look at Kim eye-to-eye. "I won't deny it – _I_ think you'd make a great villain." That strange look entered into her eyes again, but Kim wasn't quick enough to identify the emotion behind it. "Let me tell you, Kim, this life isn't the most socially fulfilling – it's lonely as Hell, and it's starting to wear on me." She glanced away for a moment before turning back to face the true redhead, her eyes blazing defiantly, confidently but with something vulnerable hidden behind it. "I'll bet it wears on you too – I doubt you're completely happy with the life of a retired heroine. You've only convinced yourself that you're happy with the quiet life, just like I convinced myself that…" She trailed off uncertainly; then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I could use a partner and a friend, and you're the only person I know who can keep up with me, if not surpass me completely."

Kim felt a strange tremor run up her spine at the unexpected praise. _What's going on, Shego? Who are you?_

Shego was still talking. "You know," she waved a hand vaguely, "someone to share the adventure with." She turned her head away for a second. "But I'll never make you take that step, Kim. The decision to join me or not is entirely in your hands." She turned her face back to Kim. "Look, it's not good for us to be seen together so I have to split. I may be disguised, but there's always a chance with this bodysuit…" She turned her head from side to side, scanning the surrounding rooftops quickly. "If you want to hear what I have to say, meet me at my hotel room in an hour. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn across highway 40 from Fairview – not far from where you live actually," she smirked again, cheering up the mood briefly. "I'm under the name of Teri Nordham." Her smirk widened into that trademark Shego-grin. "If you're not there in an hour, I'll consider it a no and that will be the end of it." She turned to go.

Kim watched her go for an instant. _That's the second person tonight who's told me it's not good to be associated with me – what's going on?_

"Wait."

Kim found her hand moving, reaching out for the lightly disguised criminal. _God, I can't believe I'm doing this._

Shego stopped, and Kim was almost knocked over by the wave of amusement that washed out from her. "_Someone_ is considering a fall to the dark side." The woman's voice was low, amused, and Kim could almost picture the wide grin she was probably wearing.

"_If_ I were," _No sense leaving the door_ completely_ open, is there?_ "I have two questions." Kim took one step closer to the woman and laid a hand on her shoulder to keep her there. "First, I'm downtown on foot. How am I supposed to get all the way back to the West Island in one hour? And second – and more importantly – if I _were_ to accept this invitation, would I be your sidekick…or your equal?"

Shego didn't turn, and Kim couldn't sense anything at all in her mind – her telepathy was on the blink again, so she had absolutely no idea what her rival was thinking or feeling. "You know as well as I do that you play second to no one." Shego spoke softly, sincerely. "You're no one's sidekick. But as for getting back to my place before the hour's up," Shego finally turned to face Kim, and her eyes were shining with that familiar mischievousness again. "You're a clever girl – you'll find a way." She spun away from Kim's hand on her shoulder. "See you in an hour, _Kimmie_." She dashed for the far edge of the rooftop – the opposite side from the one that Kim had climbed up –, turned around to blow a kiss to Kim and dropped off the edge.

Kim stood still for a moment, staring at the place where Shego's face had been only an instant earlier. _Did she just blow a kiss at me?_ She sighed and walked back to the fire escape, a plan of action already forming in her mind. "What could I have been thinking – playing this game with Shego?" She started down the iron fire escape, not caring whether she fell. She'd seen the rather deep puddle of water that covered a large portion of the alley floor. That much water – though dirty – would easily cure her enough for her to get to a more plentiful source, even after a fall from twelve floors up. _Of course, it _would_ hurt like a bitch, and it would take almost that entire puddle, but I'd walk away. Strange how these powers work, isn't it?_

Kim reached street level without incident, however, and simply dipped one finger into the puddle to heal the damage she'd done to herself by refusing to sleep all night. Those kinds of injuries were less than minor, but they were enough that Kim had felt her reflexes and alertness slowing. If she didn't replenish her body's drained resources, she was likely to drift off anywhere between here and Shego's hotel.

_Wouldn't _that_ be a great way to pass up this chance to hear her offer?_

* * *

Alright, so there it is at last. Chapter 4.

Chapter 5 is about halfway typed now, so it should be out next Friday at the latest. Hopefully.


	5. Memoirs of a Fugitive

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Fifth.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (Still not yet, but I _swear_ it's coming…promise…although it won't be very good of course because me and romance don't _really_ mix.) Hey, did you catch that, everybody…ROMANCE… between TWO GIRLS! I'm getting tired of having to warn you all the time, but if I have to, well… in the words of our favourite green-skinned super-thief: "Whatever"

**Rating:** PG-15, apparently, but you know this chapter could actually almost qualify as Teen, because there's only some mild swearing and _talk_ of femslash romance…or possibility thereof.

**Spoilers:** None this chapter. In fact, I've kind of made up some more of Shego's back-story.

**Disclaimer:** For the fifth time, I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible (though she doesn't appear in this chapter) and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation, which I think is own by ABC (or is it the other way around?). I also don't own Ferrari or Suzuki. Hell, I don't even _work_ there (swearing again, double-check).

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our heroes (or heroine and villain) Shego had just left Kim with a rather…interesting offer, as well as a challenge. And so:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

As Shego left Kim behind on the rooftop, she shoved her black wig into her satchel, which she'd left behind a dumpster in a nearby alley along with her glossy black motorcycle helmet. Grabbing both items, she stepped two paces away and then stopped. Reaching up with one hand, she grasped the upper corner of one of the huge green patches in her leather bodysuit and pulled, lifting the flap of leather off of the thin strips of adhesive that had held it in place only seconds earlier as securely as if it were a sewn seam. This adhesive was just another of Dr D's strange creations, although Shego had some serious doubts that he had actually come up with this stuff on his own. It was some kind of chemically engineered polymer that would bond semi-permanently with any surface of a specifically selected material and nothing else. To any other material, the adhesive would work about as well as melted butter. Of course, the stuff had to be completely redesigned and regenerated if Shego ever wanted to use it to stick to something other than the lamb leather it was currently "programmed" for, but she had no plans for something so useless. The adhesive had its uses to be sure, but they were few and far between. And the semi in the semi-permanent came from the fact that this weird stuff had a tendency to bond unbreakably at every point _except_ where a specific chemical marker was placed. At the upper corner of the largest green patch on Shego's suit, for example, at the junction of two adhesive strips, there was a small patch of the chemical marker. The marker was basically one half of a weaker adhesive polymer that would only become the slightest bit adhesive once it was combined with its other half, which was on the underside of the upper corner of the green patch. This weaker adhesive bonded about as well as Velcro, which was good enough since it was only about as large as a dime, but the cool thing was how this adhesive interacted with the super-strips on Shego's suit. When the weaker, Velcro type was linked with the strips, it became a sort of control mechanism. As soon as the two halves of the weaker compound were separated again, the strips would react and release their bonds like magnets repelling each other. It was a…interesting method of switching from her trademark colours to a less conspicuous look, even though it wasn't really her style.

Still, it was better to stay hidden than to get caught.

Glancing around the deserted alley, Shego flipped the green flap of leather over to the other side of her chest and fastened it down on the other adhesive strips that were there, revealing that the green flap of leather was only green on one side, while the area where it had just been was still covered in black leather. With a soft sigh of annoyance at the work this always took, Shego bent to the task of transforming her occasionally excessively flashy bodysuit.

A few minutes later, a tall short-haired redhead in an all-black leather body suit stepped out of the alley and started walking down the street, swinging a black satchel over her shoulder carelessly. _God I hate having to ditch my colours,_ she thought. But it was necessary; Global Justice still had a large sum of money out for her capture, and their agents were many. It had hurt even more to have to cut off her hair, but that too had been a necessary sacrifice if Shego had wanted to continue living free – and she always wanted to be free. Those many times that Kim had managed to get her thrown into prison were not the source of her most pleasant memories. _And that time that Señor Senior Junior thought he could sing – ugh…I've got to remember to get Kimmie back for that…_

As she walked, Shego thought of the one friend she'd had in these past four years. _Although_, she thought. _Friend might have been the wrong word for her. We had been a villain and hero-worshipper at best_. Kaia had been…something else. That Norwegian, pint-sized blonde had been an odd one, to worship Shego like she had.

* * *

**(((Flashback)))**

It's been ten freakin' months, _Shego thought, walking down some nameless street in some nameless town in Norway. _What the Hell is wrong with me? Why can't I get her out of my head?

_She wanted to scream. She really did. Unfortunately, even in so small a town, news of a crazy foreign woman in easily recognisable shades of green and black could spread quite quickly. So, she held in her frustration, waiting until she could be alone in her flat to shriek into a pillow and destroy her vocal chords for a few hours. A handy thing accelerated healing…Shego almost thought about_ thanking_ Dr Drakken for giving her that small comfort along with the rest of his bio-chem cocktail._

Almost.

_Instead, Shego just reached up with one hand and ran it through her long black hair. _Maybe I should think about doing something with it, _she thought._ It'd give me a chance at sneaking back into America without raising any flags. _She grimaced. Every other country in the world seemed to be so lax in security right now – except the good old United States. It seemed like Global Justice only cared that Shego stay away from the land of the free, if they actually cared all. She hadn't seen a single agent in five months and the last one had been little more than a freak accident. _Stupid janitorial job…Should have done dishwashing.

_Shego had been working as a janitor in a shopping complex in Hong Kong when some jerk-off with a gun and no job thought she'd make a good hostage. He'd grabbed her mop and used it to put her into a rather clumsy headlock. If she'd wanted to, Shego could have easily broken out, but she'd been having a boring day, and this promised to be entertaining. If this jerk's threats weren't amusing enough, the authorities' frantic attempts to preserve a life certainly would be, especially since that life was quite capable of defending itself. _

_In the end, they'd ended up negotiating and the unemployed hack walked off with Shego's job, which she'd all too willingly given up when asked by an uptight suit with glasses. He'd had GJ written all over him but he hadn't recognised her. He must have been a new guy._

_From Hong Kong, Shego had moved to Siberia for a little adventure. The thrill had worn off as soon as the raven-haired villainess had realised that there was no Dr D and his world-famous world-class-failures to attract a certain redheaded teen hero. Of course, as soon as she'd had that thought she'd been so angry with herself she'd actually used her climbing claws on her own leg, resulting in a bit of an extended stay. _God Dammit,_ she'd thought as she lay in that hospital bed, her leg healing faster than normal, but not quite fast enough to allow her to escape. _All this damned globe-trotting is supposed to get that brat out of my head, not remind me how much I miss – No!

_Back in present-day Norway, Shego rounded a corner and walked straight into –._

_Nothing. _

_Confused for a moment, she finally looked down to see a short blonde girl staring up at her in shock. The kid couldn't have been any more than fifteen._

_It probably wasn't her skin colour, since she'd been sure to put her makeup on, covering only her face and neck today since she had no plans to remove her clothes in public. Not for a long time at least. Shego continued to stare at the girl, trying to figure out what could have her so spooked. _No way a kid from this backwater place could have heard of me, is there?

_Apparently so._

_The girl stared up at Shego, her shock quickly fading as she said a single word. "_Shego

Dammit._ "What do you want?" Shego's grasp of the language wasn't the best, but she could get by well enough._

_Moving quicker than she'd expected, the girl threw herself at Shego – or rather, at Shego's waist. The kid _was_ really short. Wrapping her arms around the mildly disguised fugitive, the girl flew into a stream of words that bombarded Shego like a machine gun. Questions, introductions, requests, compliments._

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shego none-too-gently pried the girl off of her and held her at arms' length. "Who are you?"_

_The girl beamed. "My name is Kaia and I like you."_

_"My name is Kaia and I like you." Peh…_

Shego snorted. That girl had been nothing but trouble from the start.

_She hadn't turned the villainess in, which might have been the more merciful thing to do in retrospect. Hell, if Shego had ever lost her sanity for an instant in those two months, she might have tried to turn _herself _in! Kaia hadn't even told her parents who her new friend was, and as it turned out, no one else in the town ever recognised her – except Kaia, and_ she _only knew who the villainess was because she'd been keeping track of the world-class super-thief's entire life over the Internet. The one time Shego had been over to the little runt's house, she'd seen that the girl's bedroom walls – and even her ceiling – were completely plastered with photographs, newspaper clippings, pictures blown-up to poster size, and even drawings…_

_All of Shego._

_Well, mostly. There were some drawings of Shego with a blonde girl – no guesses as to who_ that _was, and a few pictures with some of the many duels that Shego had fought with Kim. In the centre of one wall, there had been a small, almost artistic-looking 4x6 of Kim and Shego, standing far apart but staring seriously across the distance between them in preparation for yet another of their impromptu dances – one in hatred and rage, and the other with determination and apprehension._

_It was the worst case of hero-worship that Shego had ever seen, but she'd thought it pretty harmless until two months later._

_The night Kaia had knocked on Shego's door at 2 in the morning to talk about how she lost her virginity to her boyfriend was the day Shego cut her hair. She'd already let the girl into her flat when the girl started going into her story of the night's oh-so-graphic events and Shego had_ really _wanted to just push the girl out of a window for taking what was supposed to be a distant friendship and turning it into "best friends forever"._

_But the super-villain just didn't have it in her to hurt the kid. A thief and devoted criminal she may be, but a murderer – never if she could help it. And, seconds later, Shego had realized she didn't even have it in her to break her little fan's heart with an enraged rant that would curl her ears. So, she'd instead jumped onto the plan she'd been toying with for weeks…_

_She'd offered the girl her hair in return for a night of silence._

_Of course Kaia had squealed at the offer and asked many times if she was serious, but in the end, Shego unceremoniously chopped her hair short, packed her bags, and left Norway. It wasn't until a few days later that she'd begun to regret just giving away her familiar, luxuriously soft locks, but it was too late by then. And besides, it would always grow back – quite quickly too. In fact, to keep her short hair to keep up her disguise, Shego found that she'd had to cut it almost monthly. Just a few months, and she could have her waist-long hair back, good as new._

**(((End Flashback)))**

* * *

Shego kicked at the ground. She'd been back to Norway a couple times – briefly. She didn't know why, other than the fact that Kaia had been the only one in a long time who hadn't attacked her on sight or run to hide in a corner, and she'd also been a welcome distraction from Shego's own inner demons, which had continued to attack her with a barrage of hurtful truths she hadn't wanted to hear.

Kaia seemed to have calmed down now. Her relationship with what's-his-name fell through by the time Shego visited the first time, and Kaia had come over to her flat to cry but she hadn't been as touchy-feely as the villainess had remembered. She was still just as friendly though. Shego's sudden departure must have kicked more sense into the girl than her words ever could have, and for that Shego was eternally grateful. She'd been a little apprehensive about visiting that first time, but now…she almost looked forward to the next one.

Shaking her head at the turn of her thoughts, Shego turned into another alley and walked as far as the first dumpster before stopping. Right beside the rank iron box there was a tarp-covered pile of – something, and Shego reached forward to tear the tarp off, chuckling a little at the sloppy camouflage. A wide grin slid across her face at the beauty she saw before her. _There she is…_

The _Ghost._

It was essentially, a motorcycle. The fact that Drakken had designed and built the thing, however, made it a technological marvel. It had no weapons, which didn't really mean anything to Shego – it was only a mode of transport, after all.

_But, say what you want about the snake's ineptitude when it comes to grand schemes, his little projects are flawless._ Shego climbed on the midnight black machine and fired up its compact but powerful engine. Drakken's research and experimentation had enabled him to compress the complete workings of a Ferrari Enzo into a smaller, much lighter package that could be run on a litre of regular gasoline per thousand kilometres. The mutated Enzo engine was still as efficient and powerful as ever, if not more. The walking blueberry's idea to put his super-Enzo engine into a modified Suzuki sports bike's frame was a nice touch too. And, the fact that the _Ghost_ was only about a third the size of a Ferrari made Shego's bike fast enough to outrun anything short of an army helicopter.

Drakken had built only one _Ghost_ and designed it specifically for his second-in-command. He'd made sure that as much of the bike as possible was built from his almleti alloy. The lead content of the plasma-neutralizing metal was quite low – only about ten percent, which didn't logically seem to be high enough to block the radiation from Shego's hands, but she didn't really dwell on that too much – so almleti was still a light enough material for her bike to run on. Drakken's own nanotechnology had been used to equip the _Ghost_ with a fair level of self-repair capability. A small control centre in the bike's console was used to coordinate and relay commands to the trillions of nanodrones that were housed in a tank under the rear seat cushion – just waiting to be unleashed. Dr D had also equipped the _Ghost_ with all the usual goodies, like a high-tech heads-up display embedded in the windscreen, a global positioning system – which she'd gone through very thoroughly after leaving his employ to make sure no one could track her through her use of the thing –, a duplicate set of Shego's personal toolkit, a few of his own personal toys, and an entire field repair kit for those times when Shego needed her bike fixed fast rather than well. The nanodrones could overwrite her sloppy repair jobs and completely fix the bike at a more opportune time. There were also quite a few things that Shego had taken without the cyan-skinned man's knowledge to equip her baby even more.

Dr Drakken had built this bike as a sort of anniversary gift for her – her first year in his employ. Shego saw now that it had just been a ploy to keep her loyalty, but she had to admit that he delivered quite well. When she'd left him broken amidst his comatose lackeys, she'd made sure to take her stuff – and her bike – with her.

Shego smirked behind her helmet's reflective black faceplate and revved the engine, riding the all-lime-green bike out into the heavy downtown traffic. She had chosen to forego her traditional colours just once and asked her boss to paint her baby all one colour – he never questioned why. And, now that she thought about it, Dr D never once asked her why the _Ghost_ just seemed to wink out of existence as soon as he'd presented it to her.

Shego had no fear of being recognised in her all-black bodysuit; she wasn't Shego. Shego didn't own a homemade motorcycle of any kind – not according to any authorities that is. And besides, wasn't Shego that egotistical villain that always painted everything in a combination of green…_and_ black. So what would Shego be doing with an all-green bike? That was what Global was supposed to think, and it appeared to have worked.

Or, Global Justice just didn't give a damn anymore. Shego had been out of the game for four years now, so what kind of threat could _she_ pose?

Regardless, Shego had made sure never to take the _Ghost_ out anywhere when she was wearing her trademark clothes.

No – instead, the bike was registered under Teri Nordham, her alternate identity.

Shego made her way through the slow traffic to the faster highway. Once there, she opened up the _Ghost_'s Enzo engine and let her bike fly down the blacktop at 120 kilometres an hour. Once she was comfortable, Shego let her mind slip into automatic.

She had other things to think about…

Like her private visit to Kim's apartment.

* * *

**(((Flashback)))**

_Just as Kim recovered from her second near-fall off her grappling hook wire, Shego had a sobering thought that she didn't know how to interpret. It was like her subconscious was trying to speak to her – trying to tell her something._

Just how much have _my_ feelings for her changed? And why am I suddenly so afraid?

_Shego shook her head, filing that thought away for later. Any second, Kim would reach the end of her cable and would probably look back to see if her opponent in this game had really left the scene, and if Shego wanted to win this hunt, she couldn't be seen at all by her opponent. Being seen was the first step to being caught, but it was very difficult to get caught if you weren't seen. That was the first thing Shego had learned when she began her life of crime._

_The closest place to hide, then, was back in Kim's apartment. Anticipating her long night away from home, the former crime-fighter had switched off all the lights in the sixth-floor apartment, providing Shego with the perfect place to start their game. Plus, she had other things she needed to investigate in the redhead's apartment._

_So, grabbing hold of the roof's edge with her left hand, she dug her climbing claws into the tough brick, taking a fleeting instant to appreciate Drakken's generosity towards her – while she was working for him that is, ignorant of he part in destroying her life. While she had worked for him, he'd provided everything she ever asked for when she needed or wanted something. In fact, come to think of it, he'd designed and built more than half her gear, including her climbing claws._

_When she gripped with her fingers, sensors embedded in the fingertips of the gloves took the intended motion and amplified it with the tiny motors that were built into each of the joints. For all intents and purposes, Shego's climbing claws were basically solid almleti-plated robotic gloves that fit over her real hands. The steel claws were also coated in a diamond-hard black substance that Drakken had on hand, which was also impervious both to the plasma energy in her hands as well as every other kind of abuse that Shego had ever submitted them to. The specialized gloves were designed to do tremendous amounts of work without drawing very much power, so each glove was only running on a trio of lithium batteries, which were worth about two years of constant climbing before a gradual decline in power. Two minutes after the heat from her hands had left the fingertip sensors, the gloves would automatically shut down, so there was little to no drain on the batteries when she wasn't using them._

_With her gloves firmly gripped on the roof, Shego smoothly rolled off the edge and dropped down onto the balcony of Kim's apartment. Then, she grabbed hold of the upper corner of one of the green patches on her bodysuit and pulled, flipping it over to the other side and continuing until she'd turned her bodysuit completely black, which blended far better into the shadows of Kim's balcony._

_She finished concealing herself just in time. She watched Kim reach the other side of the street and turn to look back – directly at Shego._

_Shego froze and stared straight back. If her first lesson in stealth was to not be seen, her second had come soon after. If she was ever close to being seen, moving to a better hiding spot would only give her away. Experience had taught her that motion attracted attention while stillness did not, and there was always a chance that a passing guard's gaze would simply sweep over her hiding spot. So, if someone was looking straight at the shadows in which she hid, the smart money was on remaining as still as humanly possible. That is, as long as the guard didn't come too close. Shego was reluctant to admit it, but she knew all-too-well how this tactic could sometimes backfire on her. She'd learned a long time ago, however, when this stratagem had the best chance of succeeding, and this was exactly one of those times._

_Kim looked at Shego for only a moment longer before turning away to greet her hacker friend's hovercraft drone. Shego used that moment's distraction to turn around and slide open the balcony door, smirking at the charred remains of the door lock. She could have gotten into Kim's apartment without breaking the door, but she couldn't resist playing around with the fiery redhead._

_Once she was inside, Shego moved freely through Kim's home. After a moment, she stopped and opened her mouth to taste the air silently, breathing in the residual emotions that hovered in the air. If her own were still here, she would be unable to sense them, but it was unlikely that her emotions were still in this place. She had left an hour ago, and had only been her once, so her emotions wouldn't have had any time to sink into the environment. _

_Shego had taken a great deal of time during high school to learn how emotions and her sixth sense worked. After a long time, she had finally gotten to the point where her ESP held no secrets from her._

_Whenever Kim was in her home, anything she touched would become infused with whatever emotions she was feeling at the time. Emotions could only be captured by solid objects, like a book or a couch, so Shego had to make sure to wear her almleti-lined gloves when she handled anything. She could sense all the trapped emotions in an area at once without touching an object, but to get a feel for the details of the captured emotions, she had to pick something up. Picking up anything would cause her to stop sensing the feelings in the air, and her sixth sense would instead focus on the object. Shego had never understood how her sixth sense could work without skin-on-object contact, but she'd resigned herself to the simple-yet-unrealistic rationalization that her powers extended through the gloves – or any other clothes she wore for that matter –, transforming the dual layer of almleti and leather into a kind of second skin._

_The things that she could learn from a simple object were incredible, if uncontrollable. Normally, she could suppress her mind's susceptibility to the trapped emotions if she so chose, but if she wanted to learn the nature of the captured emotions, she could not avoid feeling them herself. Overall, there were three main things she could learn from the experience: how often the emotion was passed onto the object, how recently it had been, and how strong the emotion was when it moved from a person to the thing._

_Shego moved to the square coffee table where she'd left her bag and all her gear. She quickly switched her climbing claws for her almleti-lined leather pair. Slipping them on, she reached out and brushed her hand across the white couch where Kim had been sitting as they talked, stubbornly ignoring the fact that she couldn't feel the softness of the fabric – unless she wanted to burn it to ashes. For a moment, she blocked out the emotions that Kim had passed on to the comfortable furniture, but then she closed her eyes and readied herself for the inevitable roller coaster ride of emotions she was sure to experience in her exploration of Kim's home._

_Finally, she released her control and drifted away on a gentle breeze of curiosity, tranquility, and playfulness. Nothing she didn't expect, really; she'd sensed these feelings as they talked._

_No, Shego learned nothing from the couch, but the exercise _was_ a good way to loosen up her empathy and allow her to be more sensitive to what emotions were trapped in places. So, Shego stepped away from the couch and sniffed the air again. If there was anything at all still in Kim's apartment, she would be able to sense it. Shego started walking deeper into the apartment, her mind open to the chaotic soup of trapped emotions being radiated form all the objects around the room. She sensed contentment, comfort, frustration, anger, happiness, sadness, and – something else…_

_Shego froze mid-step and inhaled again, savouring the emotion that she hadn't tasted in four years._

Excitement.

_And not just any excitement; _Kim_'s excitement. It was normal for the same emotions from different people to feel a different way, but for some reason, Kim gave off emotions that were always so much richer and fresher than those of anyone else the villainess had encountered. As far as Shego was concerned, comparing Kim's emotions to the worlds was like matching Swiss chocolate against a smarty._

_Shego's eyes fluttered closed as she lost herself in the delicious scent, drinking in the fragrance that she had been waiting four years to find once more. "_That_'s the Kim I know."_

_She slowly made her way down the hallway, still high on the excitement in the air. While she had worked for Drakken, she had constantly berated herself for craving this emotion so much. She was supposed to hate Kim Possible – destroyer of her life, but she couldn't help but love the girl's emotions._

_Stopping in the doorway to Kim's bedroom, she cast out her senses and could feel the other emotions, all too faint to identify. In fact, the chocolate-and-lilies taste of Kim's excitement was overshadowing everything, emotions that Shego had come to see. The emotions trapped within Kim's bedroom would tell Shego more about Kim herself – maybe even if the girl was aware of her own secret desire._

_Shego stepped into the room and breathed in the bittersweet scent-flavour of anticipation. Instinctively, she moved over to the closet and opened it slowly. That scent, that aura of anticipation grew a fraction stronger, and Shego looked around the large walk-in closet. _Where is that coming from? _She spotted a short, white clothing box and reached for it._

_Before her hand had closed on it, however, Shego was sideswiped by a wave of guilt. _What am I doing? _She drew her hand back from the box and felt a little tremor of excitement hidden under that bittersweet anticipation. _This is wrong. I shouldn't be snooping around here. This isn't fair to her.

_She suddenly felt childish for her hesitation._ I'm a thief; _she narrowed her eyes and reached for the box again._ When have I ever played fair? It's the name of the game._ Her fingers brushed the white cardboard box, and she felt Kim's anticipation and excitement shoot through her like lightning. She sensed the emotions were deeply sown into this box, which meant Kim had picked up this box far more than once and every time she did, she was either anticipating something, excited, or both. The emotions weren't sharp, though, so Kim's excited anticipation wasn't normally that strong. _I wonder what's in here, _Shego thought, shifting the box so she could get at the lid._

"_No," Shego pushed the box away again suddenly and stepped back away from the open closet. "I won't do it – not here, not now." She closed her eyes and turned away from the plain white box that she knew was important to Kim. _After all we've been through, it seems a little low – reaching in and taking answers that I'm too scared to ask the questions for. She deserves better.

_Shego stepped even farther away from the closet and looked around the somewhat tidy bedroom This was an unusual feeling, she realized. To stand in the home of her greatest enemy and not only have no urge to steal anything, but to be utterly ashamed at the thought of disturbing a single white box._

_Suddenly feeling drained, Shego moved over to the bed and sat down without thinking of the emotions she sensed emanating from the bed sheets._

_As soon as Shego sat down, she was hit by an intense needle of sadness, like a knife-blade to her heart. She shot back to her feet, "whoa!" For a moment, she just stood and stared at the empty, innocent-looking bed, stunned speechless by the unexpected sour taste in Kim's home. _

What is that?_ She looked around the room, seeing it all differently all of a sudden. Turning back to the bed, she carefully placed a gloved finger on the pale green sheets and ran it silently up towards the pillow. For the first time in years, Shego hesitated to surrender herself to the sadness that was trapped in the sheets. Even though it had only been for an instant, she had only ever felt that horrible once in her entire life, and that event was now seven years distant. She had absolutely no desire to feel so hopeless again, but she sighed and lowered her mental defences all the same._

_Despite the fact that she was ready for it this time, the sheer intensity of Kim's sadness overcame Shego's senses. She felt her throat tighten up, and her eyes started to water. A prolonged shudder sent her body into a trembling fit. Despair rose up from the depths of her heart. She felt as if her world had come to an end, but she had been left behind. A sob started to rise in her throat…_

_Shego tore her hand away from the bed sheet, hardly noticing when all the sensations that resulted from that pure sadness and despair vanished as if they never were – and they hadn't really. Her vampiric power duplicated the emotions in her mind, but had no control over her bodily reactions to such feelings. But the pain was real enough; the emotional pain was more than real enough._

I don't get it_, she thought, looking around the room yet again._ What do you have to be sad about, Kim Possible? And not just once either – you cry yourself to sleep every night, emotionally if not physically. And you're not sad about nothing; you are _sad_ about something huge.

_Sensing something else, Shego brushed her hand across the bed again. Concentrating, she blocked out the sadness that had so mystified her. There was another emotion trapped here; something at least as strong as that sadness, but not quite as sharp. It was there as deeply infused into the bed sheets as the easier to identify emotion. Kim felt it as often as she felt her sorrow, but perhaps not as intensely. This emotion played second to her sadness, but was intimately connected to it – may have even been the cause of Kim's unhappiness._

Loneliness.

_Shego finally identified the cause of Kim's deep sorrow or at least one of the causes. Kim Possible was alone. In a city of 3 million people, she was alone. She had an entire family that loved her and whom she loved just as much, but they were an entire country away. Kim's old high school friends were still around, but the pressures and demands of the modern world had pushed them all apart. Kim had no one here to help her, no true friends – only classmates. She really was alone._

_And it was tearing her apart inside._

_Shego drew her hand back down Kim's bed and tasted the bitter, dry loneliness. She had never liked that one. Then, she realized only half the loneliness she was feeling was bleeding off from the bed. Pulling her hand away, Shego slammed her mental block back down, and wasn't entirely surprised to find that a large amount of it remained inside her head. She knew that this leftover loneliness was her own because it had no taste or smell. For as long as she'd been a…emotion vampire – Shego hesitated at the term –, she had never been able to taste her own emotions. It was probably a natural subconscious mechanism to keep Shego sane and aware of what things in her head were hers and what things were someone else's_

_What really surprised Shego was not the fact that she was lonely, but the realization that she had felt this way for a long time, years really; she had just been too preoccupied with her professional life t realize it._

_Although, now that she thought about it, she'd had brief moments where she would be hit by how terribly lonely her life was. Not long after her accident, Shego had realized that her social life was nonexistent now. She couldn't get close to anyone without hurting them – not without the protection of her almleti gloves, and she got strange looks when she wore them everywhere. So, she'd simply given up on having a life outside of work, and had buried herself in every one of Drakken's schemes, eventually forgetting all about her loneliness. But it had always been there, just below the surface. And her loneliness would always come back to the front of her mind in those times and places when everything was quiet, such as just after one of Dr D's schemes had fallen apart._

_Shego's eyes widened suddenly as a new thought hit her. _What if every time my loneliness resurfaced, it wasn't because I was once again reminded of my handicap? What if my loneliness, my sorrow, is actually a product of having been so close to Kim Possible – fighting, joking – and then being separated again so fast? Does Kim's absence cause me to get lonely, depressed, and sad? If that is the case, _Shego was chilled by her next thought. _No. It can't be…

"Could I love Kim Possible?"

**(((End Flashback)))**

* * *

Shego returned her attention to the road ahead of her.

She'd fled Kim's apartment at that question, more determined than ever to win this game and meet Kim, if only to discover if her own half-conclusion was true. She knew that Kim loved her; she had known _that_ for a long time. And as strange as the thought of the girl she'd hated for three years falling for her was, Shego could accept it and move on with her life, whether Kim agreed to take her offer and work with her on the other side of the law or not. But, now that Shego had an ever-growing suspicion that she in turn had fallen for the redhead, this game had just become a little more interesting. Now, Kim's decision to join her former nemesis or not was all the more important, as it would mean the difference between Kim and Shego working together to discover themselves and Kim and Shego going their separate ways, never to speak again. If Kim took the latter course, Shego just knew that she would end up globe-trotting and philosophizing countless increasingly unlikely "what-if" scenarios once again.

Shego now found that she had invested more than she had originally intended in this little game of theirs, but she wouldn't back down. There was too much at stake to simply chicken out.

She didn't have to dig very deeply to know that she had meant every word of what she said to her former enemy. Shego really did think that Kim would make a great villain. She had everything she needed – a quick mind, sharp reflexes, a killer fighting style, and a whole list of abilities that Shego hadn't expected, not to mention the fact that the girl was always spouting off that oh-so-annoying quote of her father's, "anything's possible for a Possible." _Oh, how I hate hearing that from anyone but Ki-what?_ Shego snapped her eyes to the road, intensifying her focus on her driving instead of letting it drop in shock. _Did I seriously just think that? Okay, it's official – I've gone off the deep end._ All Kim needed was a push in the right direction.

_And maybe a good friend to teach her the finer details?_

_Yeah…_

One thing was certain – Shego would have to accept whatever decision her former rival made, no matter how much she might disagree with it. She couldn't force anything from Kim; to do so would completely defeat the purpose of giving her the choice in the first place, and would probably forever destroy any hope of regaining her trust.

Shego looked briefly at the empty passenger seat behind her. If all went well, and luck was on her side, she might soon have a partner to fill that void and share her adventures with. Now, for the first time, she was grateful to Dr Drakken for building her_ Ghost_ with that second seat. At the time, she'd thought it rather redundant since the speedy bike was supposed to be for her own personal use and she'd been a lone rider ever since the accident in the toxic waste dump. No doubt Drakken had intended the second seat to be for him, but Shego had never shared his delusion that they were an item – especially not after she'd learned the truth.

Of course, if Kim turned her down, Shego would accept it, as much as it would hurt and as much as she would hate to. But, if only to make herself feel better, she would provide one last opportunity to Kim, just in case the spunky redhead ever decided to change her mind. Shego kind of liked this city, and not just because her favourite radio station was here. The people were a little nicer than many other places she'd been to, though Shego had only had limited exposure to them in her three months of living in Montreal. There was also something else here, some kind of feeling to this area that appealed to her.

Not to mention that…other thing that was here, in a museum somewhere in the downtown area.

In fact, she hadn't told Kim – and didn't really plan to – but her hotel room was a front, a place to stay until she finalized furniture for her new place. It hadn't been terribly difficult to secure funds to pay for a small home out in a small town off the island; she had come from a family of wealth after all. And her shifting of various assets before quitting Drakken's crew had certainly helped. She had a few belongings at the hotel – all of them really – but she wasn't staying at the Holiday Inn for long.

And as for the rest of her belongings…well, they were in good hands. Kaia had promised to keep some of Shego's things safe – probably because she'd made Shego promise that she would come back and get them sometime. That kid certainly was a strange one.

So, after their nice long chat, if the younger woman was still reluctant to take Shego's invitation, the formerly raven-haired villain would be sure to give Kim the number to her cell phone – or, rather, _Teri_'s cell phone. Teri Nordham was Shego's only alternate identity, and she was completely clean. What made it even better was that Teri Nordham was a real person, so Shego hadn't had to go through the pains of creating an entire new alias – only modifying existing records. She'd met the woman once – a kind person, but Shego had no worries that the real Teri would come back and ruin her plans because she was dead now. Some time ago, Teri had gone to Tibet to become a Buddhist monk, and had been killed by a rockslide, which had in no way been Shego's doing; the villain had already started working for Dr Drakken when _that_ had happened. Because she'd died at the monastery – a primitive, back-to-nature place – her death was undocumented, and the world was none the wiser that someone had taken her name.

Shego was shaken out of her thoughts by flashing lights up ahead – a traffic accident. She eased up on the throttle and let her bike coast to a more reasonable speed. Merging into the growing line of stopped vehicles, she let out a sigh of frustration. This would certainly slow things down, and it wouldn't do for Kim to show up to an empty hotel room. Shego would never hear the end of the jokes – _although_…a smile on Kim's face wasn't entirely a bad thing. Shego had never consciously realized it until a few hours ago, when she was sharing a nice drink with the redhead, but that self-satisfied grin really made Kim look good, that grin that she would wear whenever she gained the upper hand in one of their fights.

Shego smiled tenderly inside her motorcycle helmet. She would give anything to see that smile while Kim worked side-by-side _with_ her instead of against her.

But _that_ was all in Kim's hands now.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. Chapter 5, delivered as promised. Perhaps a little boring, perhaps a little out-of-character, but hey – I had fun writing Kaia…

Chapter 6 on its way…"soon":


	6. Even Badder Omen, Decision

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Sixth. (wow – I really like using this way to label my chapters)

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (And it begins at last! Although it won't be very good of course because me and romance don't _really_ mix.) Hey, did you catch that, everybody…ROMANCE… between TWO GIRLS! I'm getting tired of having to warn you all the time, but if I have to, well… in the words of our favourite green-skinned super-thief: "Whatever"

**Rating:** PG-15, apparently, but you know this chapter could actually almost qualify as Teen, because there's only some mild swearing and _talk_ of femslash romance…or possibility thereof.

**Spoilers:** None this chapter. Just more talk and banter. (Did you hear that? BANTER!)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. I also don't own Ferrari. I'm not too sure, but I think Ferrari owns Ferrari.

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our heroes (or heroine and villain), Kim had dropped off the face of the Earth (not really, but she was just doing her own thing while we focused on Shego), and Shego was on her way to her hotel to meet her and…discuss the possibility of a partnership. If you read the previous chapter, you'll have learned what a Kim Possible heretic I am, but let's move on:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

_Chapter VI_

Kim walked into the hotel lobby a little under half-an-hour early. The taxi driver had done a very good job of following her directions to get her here fast. The hefty tip she'd left him for avoiding that three-car accident on the highway was sure to keep him happy for some time. She didn't know why she'd emphasized speed though; the sooner she got here, the sooner she'd have to come to a decision with regards to Shego's rather…unusual offer. And, strangest of all, neither choice really appealed to her. She was _not_ looking forward to this.

As Kim made her way through the crowded lobby to the front desk, she considered her two options.

The easiest thing to do, of course, would be to just walk away without waiting for Shego. She was here early enough to disappear without the villainess seeing. But then, Shego knew where Kim lived, so it was far too much to hope that Shego would just let the subject drop like that. Listening to Shego before turning her down had a better chance of working. Saying no and walking away would keep her on t_his_ side of the law, and Shego would be gone from her life. With that…woman…gone, Kim could return to her comfortable routine and everything would go back to normal.

Kim snorted to herself as she approached the front desk. _Fat chance. Shego won't drop this – she wants it too much._ Kim had felt Shego's longing when she'd broached the subject half-an-hour ago; Shego was lonely, and Kim could understand that. Hers was a life of action with little to no time for relationships…unless she found someone to share in her fast-paced lifestyle.

And then there was the other part of her mind, the one that was closest to her own heart. It told her to take Shego's offer, not out of respect for the fact that she'd lost their game, but simply because it was the better life for her.

Kim stopped walking halfway to the reception desk and turned her head to look out the front door. Something had happened out there…

Something had come to life within her in the past few hours, as she'd been trying to chase the shadows – something that she hadn't felt in a _very_ long time. Exhilaration. Excitement. Fulfillment. All this and so much more had come back to life in her heart as she'd swiftly scaled buildings and searched for her opponent. Her soul sang with the almost forgotten freedom of charging headfirst into a mission, driving forward with all the confidence that three years spent combating global villainy had given her. In her years since retirement, Kim hadn't lost that confidence, but had simply _forgotten_ where it had come from in the first place.

So, with this in mind, Kim realized that part of her didn't _want_ this feeling to die. She'd known for a long time that this life was too boring for her, to straightforward. There were no mysteries in the life of a College student, working part-time at a rather nice, but ordinary coffee shop – only tedium. The only reason Kim hadn't tried to dive back into heroism was the same reason she'd retired. All the crimes available to solve were too easy; they couldn't give her that same…spark as when she was facing off with monkey ninjas or exploding golf balls…or standing firm against her greatest enemy. _And hey, let's face it,_ she thought, turning back towards the reception desk. _Those hired thugs I use to train are nowhere near practice enough. My fighting skill has suffered without _her_ in my life to push me harder than anyone else ever could._

Kim found herself caught between turning Shego down and returning to her normal, everyday, oh-so-boring life, or accepting Shego's offer for a partnership and becoming the very thing she'd sought to fight all those years ago. Kim wasn't as naïve as she had been back then; she knew that there were degrees to the severity of crimes – there were no true black-and-white situations in this world. On the other hand, crime was crime, and Kim wasn't sure she could do that.

_Maybe I can convince Shego to do this on a trial basis_, she thought. _Just until I know if I can adjust to becoming what I fought._ She glanced around again. _Besides, my life is lonely too, and there's just something about her…something that I can't quite place._ She stepped up to the reception desk._ What could possibly make her want this so much? It can't be just the whole, "conquer Kim Possible" motivation that would have affected any other villains. She wants something else, and maybe…maybe…_

_Maybe I do too._

The man behind the reception desk looked up and smiled politely to her, intruding on her thoughts before she could contemplate what was motivating _her_. "Good morning, Miss. How may I help you?"

Kim hesitated for the barest of seconds. _Here goes. I'm diving in…_ "I'm here to meet someone – Teri Nordham. Is she in her room?"

The concierge turned to his computer for a moment. "Ehm…No, I don't believe she is. Would you like to leave a message?"

Kim sighed under her breath. "No, that's all right." If this man was to be believed, the former heroine had actually beaten her hostess here. A little thrill of amusement swept through her. This could be a chance for some great jokes… "I was wondering," she leaned up against the desk and smile disarmingly, bordering on flirtatious. _God I'm going to hate myself for this._ "Could you possibly let me up into her room? I wanted to surprise her."

The blonde man behind the counter stuttered nervously, taken aback either by Kim's sudden attitude or maybe by the quite possibly rare question. "Well, I-I'm not really supposed to do that for anyone unless they're family," he paused, glancing at her expectantly.

Kim thought about it. _This guy's going to have to be an idiot, but hey – it's worth a shot._ "Yeah, I'm family." She grinned happily, and then jumped slightly as if an idea had just come to her. "Hey – listen:" she leaned a little closer to the man, lowering her voice surreptitiously. "She's my older sister. It's her birthday tomorrow, and I came all the way from Chicoutimi to surprise her." She lowered her voice just a little more. "You see, I made her think I couldn't get the weekend off work back home and can't make it to wish her happy birthday because I wanted to _really_ surprise her. She was pretty angry, but I think it'll be worth it. If I could get you to help me out…" She trailed off, and fixed the man unsuspecting man with a hopeful look – the more perfected and less obvious form of her puppy-dog pout from her younger days.

The older man's eyes lit up as if he'd just been let into a huge secret, which he had been. _Too bad the secret's not real_, Kim thought. "Sure thing, Miss Nordham." He reached into a drawer and pulled out a magnetized key card. Slipping it into a small reader, he started tapping away at the computer in front of him. "Okay, this is a new system we've created this year so listen closely." He pulled the card out of the reader and placed it on the desk in front of him. "This card will get you into your sister's room – but only once. After you've opened her door, make sure you don't leave without her because the magnetic strip on _this_ card will be fried after one use."

Kim took the card and smiled at it. _Too easy_, she thought, turning her smile on the hotel receptionist. "One-time use key cards? That's really clever." She widened her smile just a little, "and you've just made Teri's day, sir."

The man smiled, "think nothing of it, Miss Nordham. Teri is staying in room 720," he turned back to the magazine he'd been reading when Kim came in. _Must be a slow morning._ "And don't worry," he continued, winking up at her. "I won't tell her anything."

"Thank you," still smiling, Kim turned and walked over to the elevators, a little bounce in her step. This was fun, being active again. _I can't believe I haven't missed this until now._ She stepped into one of the waiting elevators and punched the button for the seventh floor. She grinned silently as the doors closed and the car started its upward journey.

After only a moment spent lost in her thoughts, Kim heard that familiar four-tone beeping from her cargo pants' pocket. Reaching down, she pulled out her new, matte-finished Kimmunicator. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

The black-haired boy grinned, his face still awash in the glow of his omnipresent computer monitors. "No sitch this time, Kim. I'm just checking to see if you have any questions at all. I fixed the programming in my Scorpio antenna, so we're good for a while." He took a sip from his drink, a two-litre bottle of coke this time. "So, what do you want to know?"

Kim thought about it. _I could have him check up on Shego some more, but I know he's already been doing as much as possible since I asked him to keep an eye out for her…but if not that, then what can I ask?_ "I'd kind of like to know what has you so tweaked about Global Justice."

He sighed. "I see you've been too busy chasing Shego to read my files, but that's alright – I'll give you a condensed version. If you still have questions after that, it's all in your Kimmunicator." He paused, and then shook his head ruefully. "Where should I start?" He seemed to think for a few moments. "I guess the beginning always makes the most sense…okay – here goes. For years, far before you or I became aware of GJ's existence, there's been a faction that is singularly focussed on matters of budget, profit, and all sorts of other financially-minded goals. They wanted Global Justice to function more as a business than a non-profit global counter-terrorism organization. But, while you were around, they didn't seem to have much support, and their cries for reform went unanswered. As soon as you left, the entire management of the organization changed, and the once small faction had literally taken over Global Justice. They've become like the international mafia or something. Global Justice will solve a crime, but then they'll demand a price for their services. If the client won't pay up, well…let's just say that Global Justice's resources have grown a hundred-fold since you retired."

Km started at the four-inch screen. "Why has no one reported them?"

Wade rolled his eyes at her apparent cluelessness. "Come on, Kim – do you think an organization like Global Justice would allow itself to get caught doing something illegal? It's all under-the-radar, agents of agents and the like. I mean, 'payment enforcement' isn't officially a part of Global Justice's business practice, but it happens. Global Justice Thugs can't be traced to their own organization; they just don't exist. Half of Global Justice isn't even aware of the other side of their organization's activities. The only reason I know is because Dr Director put me on the trail only a little while before she retired." He sighed wearily. "She's also the one who told me to rig up a way to contact you without Global being able to detect the transmission. Although, I'm not entirely sure why she wanted me to contact _you_ personally – all she said was that you'd know what to do. But, what really gets me is that Global Justice has been actively causing many of the world's greatest heists. When crime is down, GJ's affiliates will pull off some multi-billion dollar crime and make enormous profit."

Kim interrupted him, "hold on Wade – let me get this straight. Global _Justice_ has been _causing_ crime?"

Wade smiled at her play on words. "Well, indirectly – yes. Pisces International is Global's daughter corporation, an invisible organization that provides over ninety percent of Global's profits. If you want an idea of how bad Pisces is, just think about the fact that the last three thousand employees to be hired are all still around and they're _all _ex-Worldwide Evil Empire. Global Justice took _them _down a little over two years ago, and then just hired everyone that survived." He shook his head slowly at some memory those words had conjured. "Very few people know that Pisces exists at all, let alone its connection to Global Justice and those who _do_ know aren't in any position to do anything about it."

Kim narrowed her eyes, "and what about you, hackerman? Can't _you_ do something about it? You're inside the organization. I've seen you destroy rampaging robot warriors from a thousand miles away."

His eyes brightened at the praise. "I'm talking to _you _aren't I? I knew that I'd have to talk to you as soon as I read section B of my Global Justice contract. It said that Kim Possible is to be considered an ordinary citizen of the world and would be granted no special treatment, regardless of all your work in the past. In fact, I was told privately that under _no_ circumstances was I to ever contact you."

Kim stared at the screen. "Are you serious?"

He nodded, taking another drink from his massive two-litre bottle. "That was a nice way for Neo-Kim to introduce herself, don't you think?" He scowled, probably at the thought of his immediate supervisor. "Anyway, she doesn't matter right now," he gestured behind him. "_This_ is my week off." He grinned at Kim. "And _that's_ why it's taken me four years to prepare for this chat."

Kim's good-natured smile returned even as she was seething inside. _Whoever's taken my job better watch herself. Her ass is mine if I _ever_ see her._ The elevator pulled to a stop at the seventh floor and she stepped off, remaining by the bank of elevators. "So, Wade the rebel, eh? I like the sound of that." Her brow furrowed in thought, "But why the silent treatment? Why would they restrict communication with me?"

The still slightly overweight teen grinned. "More like outlawed," he chuckled. "You should know the answer to that one, Kim. If communication lines with you were open, or if you'd stayed in the business, you would inevitably have found out about Pisces' connection with Global Justice. And if there was _anyone _in a position to blow the whistle on them or – more likely – take them down, that'd be you. It seems like you were the only thing standing in the way of the less scrupulous faction of Global Justice."

Kim sighed quietly and leaning back against a wall, Kimmunicator in hand. "You were wrong, then." She spoke in a quiet, defeated voice. "It _is_ my fault, Wade – all of it." She closed her eyes. _After all I've done to take down megalomaniacs and delusional Monkey Masters, an organization of Evil still managed to take power. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Wade, but if I could have stopped this by being around, retiring makes it my fault._

A loud hiss brought her attention back to her Kimmunicator, and she opened her eyes to see Wade glaring at her. "Now, you listen to me, Kim." He looked to be strangely torn between guilt and rage. "If anyone is at fault here, it's me. You're just an agent, and not to belittle you or anything – 'cuz, you know, you can easily kick my ass –, but you can only be in one place at a time. Me, on the other hand?" He gestured at the computer equipment that surrounded him – or at least the plethora Kim could see. "I'm a computer hacker – the best on the planet, and the birth of Pisces passed right under my nose. Pisces was around long before you retired, but they just weren't getting the funding necessary to realize their full potential." He paused, but gave Kim no time at all to defend herself. "You want someone to blame, Kim – fine! Blame me for not seeing it, blame Dr Director for caving to their demands when she retired, but don't you _dare_ take the blame on yourself. You have nothing to do with this." He stopped to take a deep breath, calming himself and Kim was relieved. _Whoa,_ she thought._ Wade's got some issues to work out about this._

He was still talking, albeit in a much more controlled voice. "See, Kim – the difference between us is you couldn't have known what Global Justice's little revolutionary faction was planning while I _should've_ known." He sighed, "And I want out. Global Justice got to me because though I may have the best hacking skill, I'm nowhere near as skilled as I should be to protect myself." He looked at Kim seriously. "But _you_ on the other hand, you are the fighter. If you had known what was going on here, we both know what would have happened. Heck, _everybody _knows all too well how good you were when you were in the game." He smiled thinly.

Kim gave him a hurt look. "Hey, I still _am_ good at what I do. I can do anything."

Wade shook his head, his grin unshaken. "But you're retired now, Kim. It would take too long for you to get yourself set up again to do any good; Pisces or Global would be sure to shut you down – permanently. They're not clever enough to have you bugged or micro-chipped, but they _do_ keep tabs on your general activities. The only reason they've never touched you is because A) you're retired; B) they're extending you a professional courtesy; and C) if they fail to take you down on the first shot, they'll have just revealed themselves to the one person who poses a threat to them and they probably won't get a chance for a second try."

Kim's expression turned thoughtful. "I wonder if maybe her offer isn't so crazy after all…"

The pocket hacker raised an eyebrow at her distracted statement. "Offer? Who's offer of _what_, Kim?"

Kim considered lying, but then thought better of it. "I haven't exactly had no success with my hunt for Shego. She came up to me about an hour ago and hinted that she'd offer me an in to the world of crime if I became her partner." She paused for a second. "At first, I wanted to turn her down completely right away, but there was something about her offer that interested me."

Wade's voice took on an intrigued tone. "Are you sure it wasn't just the fact that she didn't take a swing at you the moment she saw you? She hates the air you breathe, remember?"

Kim finally turned and started down the hall towards 720. "I haven't forgotten that Wade, but it's almost like Shego _has_. It almost seemed like she actually wanted me to join her – no strings attached, like she wasn't plotting something. I'm supposed to meet her here to hear her out." Again, she paused, searching for the words to make Wade understand. "After what you've told me…I figure Global Justice has to go down. Sorry, Wade." She winked at him, "but I'm going to have to put you out of a job – and from where I'm standing, there's only one way to do it."

Wade nodded his understanding. "Don't worry about it, Kim." He grinned, "if Global Justice goes down, I'm back to freelance." He paused as he considered Kim's proposed plan of action. "And you know…that isn't such a bad idea at all. If you want to take down a corrupt organization like Pisces – and Global along with it –, you can't go to the authorities. I know you're fearless enough to do it, but those two groups are far too big to not have agents in _very_ high places." He nodded sagely to himself as he continued. "Yeah, it seems like you have to cross over if you want to make a _real_ difference."

Kim grinned, "And cause more crime than they can deal with?" She still wasn't sure how she felt about _causing_ crime. She'd have to have a very good, _very long_ talk with Shego about that. The older woman _had_ been a hero in her own day, after all.

Wade nodded slowly again. "It looks like Kim Possible is a villain now." He typed a little more on his computer. "Listen, I'll help whenever I can, but that's only the first week of every month. For now, I've got three pieces of advice for you. First, even though Pisces Enterprises causes many crimes, their profits don't come from the crimes themselves, but from 'solving' the crimes they cause. If you cut into their profit margin by causing crimes they can't solve – and thus can't get paid for solving –, one of two things should happen: they'll eventually go bankrupt and close down, or they'll get desperate and start trying to make money off their crimes, which means they'll get sloppy and someone like me can expose them. Once exposed, it shouldn't take long for the world's superpowers to get together to finish the job _you've_ started and tear Pisces apart, leaving Global Justice ripe for new management, or old management if Dr Director is still interested."

"Hey," Kim interrupted. "Wade, do you think you could get me in touch with her? I could use any info she might have on the organization she created."

Wade shook his head sadly, "unfortunately, I can't figure out where she is. The last time I had any kind of contact with her was about a year ago when I delivered a package for a 'Kelly Tor Direc' in New York City. Not a very imaginative pseudonym, if you ask me. But, when I tried to track Ms Direc down, all records of her existence vanished – right before my eyes." He snorted, mildly amused by his failure. "I think she's out there somewhere, and you'll most likely run into her at some point, but I have no clue where." He stopped, changing gears. "My second piece of advice, make _sure_ you think long and hard before taking that first step with your new ally – you could get seriously burned if you're not careful, either by her or by the authorities."

_Not by Shego, though_. Kim still couldn't understand where this weird trust for her arch-foe was coming from. Her smile wavered just a little, "thanks Wade, but like you said – I'm retired. Kim Possible's been off the radar long enough for the world to forget. It's time to jump the fence and present a new face to the world. Besides, since I quit hero-going," she grinned deviously, "I'm halfway over the fence already."

Wade chuckled, "I guess it helps if you look at it that way – but please, don't ever smile like that again. It's kinda creepin' me out." He shuddered, but then his good-natured smile returned full force. "Final piece of advice – never call me. I'll contact you at the beginning of my weeks off and I'll check in routinely every morning at 10 unless we arrange otherwise until I'm back at work. Other than that, don't try to talk to me. My Scorpio encryption equipment takes a few minutes to warm up, and Global can trace any transmission until it's at full power."

Kim stopped at Shego's room. "Alright, Wade. I'm at the meeting place now so I have to go, but thanks – for everything."

The boy on the screen just shrugged. "Hey, if you can get me out from under Global Justice's thumb, we'll call it even." He reached for a key off-screen. "I'm back at work tonight, so I'll talk to you next month." He paused, but then stiffened as a sudden idea occurred to him. "Oh, and just so you know, I've had a bit of a plan in the works for a while, but was just waiting for the right time to start everything going. You may not have thought about it, but as soon as Global figures out who the new criminal is, they'll try to take steps to stop you, and _that_ means your family." Kim gasped, but Wade went on without waiting for her to catch her breath. "I want you to know that you don't have to worry about it, because I've got the best protection available all lined up for them. I have enough time before I have to go into work to get everything set up, so just…don't worry and focus on your mission." He looked away and his fingers started flying across another keyboard. "I'd suggest not trying to contact them, because they're sure to be bugged, but I can keep you more or less on top of what's going on. It'll give me something to tell you every month."

Kim smiled tensely, mildly reassured but still disgusted that the organization _she'd_ helped out time and again would stoop so low. "alright – I'll see you in three weeks then, Wade. Bye."

"See you 'round, Kim." He stabbed at a key and the screen went dark.

Slipping the black device back into her pocket, Kim raised her key card and slid it into the lock on the door, opening it and slipping into Shego's hotel room.

Just like the hotel concierge had said, "Teri" wasn't there. The hotel room was empty, save for a single carry-on sized satchel-type bag that sat beside the room's one double bed, reasonably filled and closed up tight.

Kim walked silently into the room and looked around, analyzing what she saw as well as she could and retraining herself for her coming re-emersion into the world she'd tried to leave behind. _It looks like the world just can't do without a Kim Possible – a _good_ Kim Possible. _That last was added when she thought about Wade's opinion of her replacement.

The bed was made neatly, though it was still only 6 in the morning and too early for any of the housekeeping staff to have started their rounds. The probable reason for the neatness of the sheets was the fact that Shego – like Kim – had spent the entire night on the town. So the tidy bed was in fact a product of the hotel staff's work from yesterday. The carpet was vacuumed and still had the tell-tale lines of the machine's rollers. The room's drapes were drawn all the way to the edges of the window, giving a not-so-impressive view of the sprawling suburbs of Montreal's West Island. Stepping over to the closed bag – black leather, unsurprisingly – and opened it slowly, careful not to do more than look closely at the contents. The bag was filled with clothes and several odds and ends, some electronic and unidentifiable and others just some useless-looking trinkets. Lying on top of on of Shego's spare bodysuits was a keychain with two keys hanging off it; one was a shiny grey metal house key while the other was a car key that bore the easily recognised Ferrari logo, stamped on the side of the black hard plastic head of the key. Kim raised her eyebrows at that. _Shego has a Ferrari? Damn, I should have gone villain a long time ago; it sure as heck pays better._

She chuckled at her own thoughts and zipped Shego's bag closed. It had never been a question of money to her before – she had just done everything for the thrill it offered. And even now, the promise of riches gained from a life of crime, wasn't all _that_ enticing to her. _Riding around in a Ferrari with Shego, on the other hand…_

_God – what's gotten into me?_ Kim tried to shake the traitorous thoughts that told her there was more than friendship at work here; now was _so_ not the time.

She stood from the neatly packed bag and turned to move into the bathroom of the hotel room. It too was spotless and unused since the hotel staff had done their thing yesterday. There was nothing more Kim could learn from her surroundings without her gear, and she didn't want to take the effort to pull anything out of her bag, which was still slung on her back – especially not when Shego could return at any moment to uselessly wait for the former heroine's arrival.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Kim felt Shego approaching the hotel room from the elevators, radiating slight annoyance – and maybe a drop of embarrassment. _Aw, nuts!_ She looked around for a place to hide. She wasn't really supposed to be here yet. _I could bug her about beating her here, but then she'd know that I snooped through her stuff. I've got to get out of here!_

_Too late._

Kim heard a key card slide into the room's lock, and she reacted instantly. Using her powers as an elemental, she transformed her entire body into water vapour, taking her clothes and bag with her.

No matter how many times she did it, Kim never got used to the sensation of her body expanding beyond her normal dimensions, spreading out to fill an entire room as water vapour didn't have the same rigidity as a solid body. Her vision was weird too; she could see everything around her at once, as if her eyeballs were back-to-back. And even though her retinas were now transparent – and thus had no surface to receive light particles to translate into data to send to her optic nerves –, she could still see perfectly, though her vision was always a little disorienting, what with seeing everything around her at once.

_I hate 360 degree vision._

She heard the door in the main room open swiftly, and drifted her way into that part of the hotel room, waiting to watch Shego at work when she thought she was alone. If she had a face, it would be grinning madly, eyes bright with the unexpected opportunity for mischief.

_This should be good._

* * *

_I can't believe she beat me here._

Shego stormed off the elevator. That idiotic concierge didn't have to say anything for her to know Kim was here. His big, dopey grin when he'd greeted her had clued her into the fact that something was up. There were very few things that could have made that man so gleeful at the sight of her, and one of them was Kim Possible's presence in her room waiting for her.

He'd even gone so far as to call her over to tell her that she didn't have any messages – not that she'd really expected any, being in hiding and all. Of course, it didn't _seem_ like her cover had been blown, and neither did it appear that the old man behind the reception desk had recognized the retired heroine, so Shego just punched the button on the elevator angrily.

She slid her key card into the lock and then ripped it out, shoving the door open. _God, I'll never hear the end of this_. "Okay, Kimmie – what the…?"

Her hotel room was empty.

"Where are you?" Shego slowly stepped into the room, closing the door behind her with a loud-seeming click. The bathroom was empty too. "I know you're here."

Suddenly, her vision swam, as if a cloud had passed through the room and she'd been standing in the middle of it. She even felt moisture on her face, and she'd felt a soft gust of wind. _What the hell?_

She reached up and wiped the cool moisture off her face with one finger. Then, on some inexplicable impulse, she opened her mouth and licked her finger, tasting whatever the moisture was. Just as she'd thought, it was just water.

_But where did it come from?_

Shego walked over to her bag and reached out one hand to brush the black nylon, just beside the zipper. _If I know my Kimmie…_ She felt a gentle wave of curiosity and apprehension ripple through her. Standing, she grinned – satisfied. "So," she whipped around in a circle to look behind her. Kim really _was_ nowhere to be seen. "You're a curious little thing aren't you? But you're also not sure if you want to have this talk with me." She breathed deeply, inhaling her rival's emotional response to her statement. When she identified it, her grin widened. "Surprised?"

"Ooh, you're good; tell me your secret."

The disembodied voice came from behind the villainess, and she whipped around to face it. She grinned as she sensed a duel of power and wits fast approaching. "Show yourself first, hero." _Just like old times, _she thought. _God, I've missed this._

A familiar giggle answered from her far left and she turned to face it, her heart skipping a beat as old, long-forgotten childhood fears of ghosts and monsters surfaced in her head.

"My, _you're_ jumpy." This time, the voice came from right beside her left ear. Shego felt that inexplicable sensation of water on her face again and shivered in mild fear. "Don't you worry, my friend. I'm the only one here – I can promise you that." _Friend,_ Shego thought, thinking back to her own developing feelings for this young woman. _If only you'd give me more to work with._ Kim seemed to start walking around her slowly in a tight circle, but Shego couldn't tell from any more than the closeness of the redhead's voice. "If you can catch me, I'll show myself. Then, we can get this talk of yours over with. Deal?"

Shego's confidence finally returned. "Deal, but I get help." She pulled off her almleti-lined gloves and wiggled her fingers. "And don't worry – there's plenty of water in the bathroom." She raised her hands, their deadly green glow fully present now, un-blocked by the confining alloy core of her gloves. "Your pocket-nerd gave you something didn't he?"

"Ooh, tough girl," Kim taunted, moving faster now, unpredictably so Shego couldn't track her. "Your hands can't do anything to me; not like _this_.

"Are you sure about that, hero?" Shego turned to try and follow her opponent. "Your camouflage can't save you, _Kimmie_. You'd better quit before you get burned."

Kim laughed quietly this time, her voice coming from only millimetres away from Shego's face. "Now, when have I ever quit? You have to beat me, and you should know by now that you don't scare me." Kim drew back once more, moving away from the floundering villain. "So – come on!"

Shego sighed, but her smile returned. "Alright – I'll play."

"Excellent."

Shego felt a shiver run up her spine as she tasted Kim's excitement in the air again. It was undiluted by anything. _God_, she thought. _Pure Kimmie-excitement…I've been waiting four damned years to get this again._ "You know," she breathed, savouring the exquisite scent of lilies and dark chocolate. "If we spend much more time together, you're going to have to learn to curb your excitement – it's distracting, intoxicating…" She turned in a slow circle, momentarily lost in the delicious taste that wafted off of Kim's mind. Her eyes fluttered half-closed, and she even felt her knees start to weaken. "But, I _do_ love the taste, so we should be able to reach a compromise."

Kim's voice was stationary in one corner of the room. "Okay, you're starting to scare me now, Shego."

Shego's eyes snapped open and she leapt from where she stood to the corner where Kim's voice had come from. "Game over, Princess; show yourself."

"Not even close, Shego." Kim had gotten all the way across the room without getting caught. "Care to try again."

Shego wiped fresh water off her face. _Damn, someone needs to fix the humidity in this place_, she thought. _Or, Kimmie's toy's leaking something, but it's just water._ She inhaled again and tasted a change in the quality of the excitement in the air. Kim's amusement was tainting the flavour ever-so-slightly, robbing Shego of her favourite emotion. She felt anger flare up at the injustice of it all, "not at all, hero-girl." She started stalking around the room, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Now here's a challenge I've missed; taking you on in a fair fight."

Kim's amusement faded away, leaving only her excitement behind, much to Shego's delight. "I don't know, Shego. When you find out what I'm doing to avoid you, you'll call me for cheating."

Shego grinned, "Ooh – bad girl," she mocked. "Are you sure villainy isn't the life for you? I can tell you'd be good at it." She felt that mysterious sensation of passing through a cloud again.

Kim's voice came from right beside her ear again. "I guess that all depends," a wash of moisture across Shego's face, and then Kim's voice was at her other ear. "It certainly is a tempting offer." The hidden girl's excitement spiked to a much higher level, and Shego felt her knees actually start to tremble at the strength of it's affect on her. The villainess' eyes were wide in surprise at the heroine's boldness. "The pay is better of course. I've played the hero my whole life, and all I have to show for it is my Civic. You, on the other hand," Shego felt the light brush of a finger on her cheek, but she was far too distracted to reach out and grab her opponent and win this new game. "You get a Ferrari? That's hardly fair." Despite her words, Kim's mind continued to give off that same amount of excitement, as well as a growing jumble of a dozen other emotions that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Shego whipped around and threw out her arms to catch Kim if she tried to retreat away, but all she grabbed was overly-wet air. "Too bad." She felt water drip from her fingers. "Sorry, Princess, but my Ferrari's one-of-a-kind; you can't have one." She turned slowly, hoping to catch a hint of where Kim was – a shimmer in the air, a quick flicker in the light – anything. "But, I suppose I could learn to share." She kept her voice low, tempting Kim closer if she wanted to hear what she was saying. "I must say, Kimmie," she even followed the advice she yelled whenever thriller movies were playing on TV and looked up. Maybe Kim was simply hanging from the ceiling right above her. No such luck. "Whatever you're doing to hide from me, it's good – really good." She dove to one side, reaching out her arms to wrap around the source of the scent-flavours in the air. Once again, she caught only air – unusually moist air.

Turning once more in a circle, Shego realized she was getting tired of this. _This_ wasn't the kind of fight she wanted from her Kimmie. She wanted to be able to see the girl as she blocked a punch, ducked a kick…countered with on of her own…

She let her shoulders slump in resignation. If this was the only way to get her rival to show herself so they could have a _real_ fight, so be it. "Alright Kim, I give; your camouflage is just too good for me."

She felt the water on her hand grow denser and cooler. "What the hell?" She moved to brush the moisture off her hand, but neither of her hands moved. She felt another set of hands gripping her own, holding her arms at her sides and keeping her in place. "What are you doing, Kim?"

"Hold on a second," the invisible redhead's voice came from directly in front of Shego, so close to her face that she could feel the warmth of her breath on her cheeks. _Oh, God!_ Shego felt her knees grow close to collapsing under her as she inhaled Kim's spent breath. It smelled like breath mints; the redhead must have popped a couple to get rid of any bad breath she might have accumulated over the night. _What is this? What's happened to me?_

"What are you doing," Shego tried again, "Kim?"

"Just you wait," came the whispered reply.

* * *

Kim stood frozen, her face a hand's breadth away from Shego's. She was still coming to terms with something she'd only just realized.

She'd felt something growing in the back of her mind since the night before, ever since Shego had greeted her in her own apartment. She didn't know what it was, but there was something familiar about it, which made Kim think that this feeling that was growing in her was somehow connected to her hero going work, now four years past. She wasn't sure how to proceed with analyzing her own mental reaction to Shego's reappearance in her life, but she knew that it played an important role in the past nights events.

All night long, Shego's words had repeated themselves in Kim's head in a never-ending loop, clamouring for attention that Kim was reluctant to pay; Shego's words gave rise to a disturbing line of questions, and Kim decided she didn't have the time or energy to focus on them. Shego had kept mentioning something about getting answers, and that Kim was the only one who could provide them. That alone was enough to make Kim's head spin with uncomfortable questions, but there were other things too…Shego's momentary discomfort and edginess when Kim had pressed her for that third thing she'd learned from Kim's brief lapse in control. Shego was _never _uncomfortable; Kim had known the pale villain long enough to know _that_ at least. And she was rarely as nervous as she had been in Kim's apartment – if ever at all. And yet, when Kim had asked about that third nugget of knowledge, Shego had been almost vibrating with nervousness. Kim had almost expected some kind of sound to emanate from Shego's mind it was trembling so much.

There was also the woman's intense concern when she'd accidentally burned into Kim's shoulder. By then, Kim had gotten used to the idea of Shego lacking any hatred for her, but for Shego to completely flip and show concern for her? It was unthinkable. How could Shego have moved from one side to the other so completely? How could there be no remnants of the old hatred, the old way of thinking? Shego really _had_ become a new person in the four years since they'd met, and it threw Kim for a loop.

She had paused in her hunt for a moment to have an interior monologue, letting Shego stew on whatever rooftop she was watching from. _I know it's been four years, but still…What could have cause such a change?_ It didn't take a genius to answer that question.

A Revelation.

Kim had turned that one over in her head for a good ten minutes. Whatever information Shego had learned from herself or others had obviously given the woman a full plate of things to think about. Of course, Kim's first guess would always be that Shego had discovered something about herself or Kim, and had come back to see more – to dig deeper into the truth. It was the only thing that made sense – the only thing that could have drawn Shego out of hiding – and to Kim's doorstep no less. Then, only one question remained:

What had Shego learned?

Kim had told Wade that she was interested in Shego's offer, but she hadn't told him why. The truth was, she couldn't tell him; she herself didn't really know. At first, she'd thought it was just the apparent honest of her offer or the intense longing she'd sensed in Shego's mind as she'd made her offer, but then she'd realized that her interest ran far deeper than that. It was something hidden that had kindled that fire in Kim's mind.

As Kim had sat in the backseat of the taxi, en route to her rendez-vous with Shego, she had sensed that her mental quest was gradually drawing her closer to the realization that Shego had made, but something lay between her and her goal – an obstacle of some kind. In order for her to discover the truth that had presented itself to Shego, Kim had to first discover her own.

And now, moments before Shego had admitted defeat in this impromptu duel of theirs, Kim was shocked to realize that she'd found her truth.

From the moment that she had left the bathroom of her own apartment, freshly healed from her burned shoulder, Kim had felt something stirring somewhere deep in her heart – a flutter of some unidentifiable emotion. No, not unidentifiable – simply unfamiliar to her. She had never felt this way before in her life, but she was familiar enough with emotions – both her own and those of others – to be able to identify them quite easily. And this one had been growing ever-so-slowly in the back of her mind ever since those few minutes before Shego had left her apartment to start their doomed game of cat-and-mouse. But then, this rather odd game of hide and seek in Shego's hotel room had sent that feeling roaring to the front of her mind with all the force of a collapsing mountain.

_Love_.

At first glance, Kim had dismissed it entirely, recoiling from the lie her mind was telling her. She couldn't love Shego! It would be scandalous if the world found out. It was one thing for Kim to jump the fence and become a villain in order to fight a corrupt organization, but to go even farther and fall for someone who really _was_ a villain – and a woman? It was unthinkable. Kim very nearly shut this revelation out of her mind – at least for now. She was already on the cusp of one life-changing decision; she didn't need to think about another one…not yet.

_But, then again…_

Kim turned the idea over in her head, considering what she'd just learned. This particular life-shaping decision wasn't really that difficult, so she could afford a few seconds analyze herself, right? If there was one thing Kim had learned from her experiences as a telepath, it was that emotions were a subconscious response, and thus could not be manipulated or faked. The subconscious did not lie. Sure, the _conscious_ mind could be forced to exhibit certain emotions, conditioned to feel a certain way, such as Shego's overbearing hatred for her, but in the end, the subconscious was incapable of showing anything other than what the _heart_ truly felt.

_So_, Kim brought up all her memories of Shego. _Let's see what my subconscious is trying to tell me...Shego, standing ready to fight, hands blazing emerald: beautiful, yet sadly tragic…Her long black hair flowing behind her as we've fought a thousand times: mesmerizing and awe-inspiring…Standing over me in victory: a fearful sight, but one that makes her no less beautiful than the stars…Moments without Shego trying to kill me: lifeless, tedious, boring…_

_Enough_. Kim watched Shego taste the water she'd left on her face as she'd floated into the greater part of the hotel room. _Okay, there's something deep going on between us – at least on my side – I get it. Now, what do I do about it?_

She could reveal herself to Shego in all her confused glory and open herself up to the snide remarks, insults, and inevitable rejection if Kim's feelings for the older woman did in fact turn out to be love. Realistically speaking, Kim could lose her mind and fall for her arch-foe, but Shego was still sane enough to understand the boundaries of this game, right? There was no way that Shego too could have gone nuts and blurred the lines between friend and foe.

Kim hesitantly came to a conclusion, if only to soothe her own mind by answering the question – even if she made the wrong decision. In all rationality, it was a binary question; the answer was either a one or a zero, plus or minus, yes or no…

_Love or friendship?_

It was clearly beyond the realm of civility; her own comfort and lack of aggression when she'd shared a nice cold coke with the woman proved that at least.

_Okay_, she thought. _There's a possibility that I love Shego. As much as the thought scores, like, a twelve on the weirdness metre, the chance is still there_._ So, just for argument's sake, let's just say that I _do _in fact love her…now a new question arises…_

_Why does the possibility scare me so much?_

It took a moment, but Kim suddenly realized it wasn't the revelation of her newly-discovered feelings for Shego, whether love or simple friendship, that had given her pause, but the even greater possibility of those feelings not being returned.

_Does Shego feel the same way about me?_

Certainly, there was enough circumstantial evidence to hint that Shego at least _cared_ for her, but it could all be an illusion for all Kim could tell, a sloppy conclusion drawn Kim's own freshly-revealed feelings for the formerly raven-haired beauty. _Yes, I can at least admit that without feeling weird, because – let's face it – Shego is totally hot, green skin and all. The green skin actually kinda works on her, giving her that forbidding kind of touch-me-and-I'll-kill-you aura, and her snide, arrogant attitude works too._

Before Kim could catch herself, she realized that she was outlining everything that made Shego so irritating, so infuriating, and just so damn…

_Hot._

_Alright,_ Kim relented as she let Shego pass right through her when the all-black clad villain dove across the room. _I've officially got it bad for my arch-foe_. She felt a tremor run through her at the thought of accepting Shego's offer. Oh, the mischief they could come up with to piss Global Justice off. _And there are so many things we could do behind closed doors too_, she found herself thinking before she could stop it.

So, lust definitely wasn't a problem. Now that Kim thought about it, it never really had been. She didn't think she'd felt this way at the time, but as she thought back on her three years spent fighting the woman, both physically and verbally, she felt a thrill run up her watery spine at every image that passed through her head. _Dammit, there has to be something wrong with me,_ she found herself thinking. _Heroines – even ex-heroines – don't all of a sudden decide to fall in love with their arch-foes. _She almost gasped at the fact her own thoughts had revealed to her.

_I _do_ love her._

She had to. There was no other real and plausible explanation for the feelings that were coursing through her at this very moment. And if Shego felt the same way, she definitely didn't want to miss out on the chance to

But, then there was also the possibility that she was reading too far into Shego's actions and words. It was all too possible that in searching – wishing – for this newfound love to be reciprocated, Kim was simply seeing things in Shego's behaviour that weren't there at all. This entire episode could all just be an attempt by an apologetic former enemy to make up for her past hatred, guilty for unjustly hating and despising an innocent person.

_So, how to find out how Shego feels about this?_

Kim looked Shego up and down as the black-clad woman turned in a quick circle in a fruitless attempt to catch her, and instantly came to a decision. She was afraid – terrified –, but she was no coward. She was afraid that Shego would push her away, that she would dismiss Kim's feelings outright – offer up some lame Hollywood-ish line about being flattered, but not liking Kim, "in that way". Kim had no idea what she would do if the older woman shot her down so dismissively. However, if it was any consolation, Kim would have no doubts about where Shego stood after this. Once again, the question she was about to ask was completely binary – yes or no.

_But there's only one way to find out_. Kim watched with growing trepidation as Shego's shoulders slumped and she admitted defeat. It was a rare occurrence, in all their adventures together, for either of them to admit that the other had won; normally they fought endlessly, forever matched equally, until Ron pressed the magic red button, or Drakken called for Shego's assistance.

"Alright Kim, I give; your camouflage is just too good for me."

Kim tightened her watery grip on Shego's hands and felt her fear grow fractionally as her woefully improvised plan began to take shape. _I'm risking so much_, she thought, ignoring the ache in her chest at the thought of her feelings not being returned.

This was new. Not twelve hours earlier, Kim had been content with her life post-retirement – not happy and not completely fulfilled, but content nonetheless –, but now she was agonizing over a decision she had never imagined she'd have to make, a question she'd never seen herself asking. Strange how seemingly innocent events, when woven together into a whole adventure, turned out to be so important, so…pivotal. It was as if Shego's rather brazen invasion of her apartment had been the first stone to fall in a whole landslide that wiped away the grit and junk that had built up in her life, uncovering things about herself that she'd never even imagined. Sure, there were times when Kim wondered about her sexuality, but when you were young and in high school, who didn't – especially if you were very frequently surrounded by the young and quickly maturing girls of the cheer squad? The girls' locker room was nothing like guys probably imagined it, but that _was_ the place where the entire team changed, and though modesty and embarrassment reigned – for the most part at least –, the thoughts were always there.

Sure, Kim had often wondered, but she'd never thought she would actually take that step.

And there was still the fact that Shego and Kim were supposed to be on opposite sides. The whole "hero falls for the villain story" had always seemed to score untold levels of weirdness for her old gang when it was depicted in movies or books, so she was unlikely to get acceptance from them if she moved forward and asked her jade-shaded friend the question that was so abruptly burning in her soul. _So I risk being ostracized by my old friends_, she thought. _Well, it's not like I've seen them since a little after I retired, and I _know_ they can't dictate my life. It's too bad we've all grown apart, but I'm not going to deprive myself this chance to cater to _their_ beliefs – not when I have my own, and _especially_ not when we haven't been in touch for so long._

Kim stared across the centimetres at Shego's wide and slightly apprehensive eyes. _Oh yeah_, she thought, _this is definitely worth it if there's even a small chance that she feels the same way._ She mentally prepared herself.

_Well, here goes nothing._

* * *

A/N: Well, here's a cliffhanger for you – or not. We all know what's going to happen between Kim and Shego, right? I assume you've all been paying attention? Ah, well…it's not the destination that counts, it's the journey, and I'm having a blast writing it…

Please review. Tell me what you think. What do you like? What do you Hate? Be honest now…


	7. The Heroine's Choice

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Seventh. (Didn't think I'd make it this far, did you?)

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (Finally! For all you Kigo fans out there who've been bugging me to no end – it's finally here! Someone makes a move, and someone else answers! Although it won't be very good of course because me and romance don't _really_ mix.) Hey, did you catch that, everybody…ROMANCE… between TWO GIRLS! I'm getting tired of having to warn you all the time, but if it'll keep the feds (ffnet demons) off my ass, I'll do it. (Swearing – check…)

**Rating:** Um…Hm…I've got nothing, so why don't I go with the PG-15 that seems to have wormed its way into my story? And, just so you know – and I sometimes enjoy repeating myself – this story now has ROMANCE between TWO GIRLS! So, if you don't enjoy that, close your eyes or, you know – leave. Everyone else, enjoy this chapter…

**Spoilers:** None this chapter, but just so y'all know (cuz some people have been asking questions), the episode "Go Team Go" does have some kind of place in this AU-verse I've created. You'll just have to wait and see how it fits in. (MUWAHAAAAHAAA!)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. I also don't own Ferrari or Holiday Inn.

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**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our heroes (or villain and villain to-be), our beloved Kim and Shego were in the middle of a quick little impromptu battle of wits. Kim had a bit of a revelation about herself, and wrestled with whether or not to act on what she'd learned. And Now:

Onto the insanity!

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**_Chapter VII_**

Shego looked from one of her hands to the other, trying to figure out what was going on and what was taking Kim so long to reveal herself, but she still couldn't see anything. Kim's hands on her own remained infuriatingly invisible and…strangely moist.

_What are you doing, Kim?_

Shego had never seen her arch-foe act like this before. In all of their encounters, Kim had been concerned about the lives that were threatened by Drakken's latest scheme – or the welfare of her sidekick and his rat if lives weren't being threatened by the amazing blue man's frequently harebrained plots. Kimmie was always focused on her mission and the safety of whoever was with her, whether it be her blond-headed dork of a sidekick or her rather…young-looking mother. _God, wasn't _that_ a memorable Mother's Day?_ Shego had been just as surprised as Drakken at how young Kim Possible's mother had looked, but she hadn't been stupid enough to mistake her for Kimmie's sister.

Sure, Kim had often – always, really – traded banter and witty quips with Shego, but not like _this_. Kim's behaviour since the experienced thief had broken into her apartment had been erratic at best, moving constantly from relaxed to nervous, to frightened…and now…

Kim's attitude in Shego's hotel room was playful, confident, almost…_flirtatious_. And yet, there was an undercurrent of nervousness to Kim's actions, as if she maybe wasn't as confident as she was letting on – like she wasn't as sure of herself as she normally was. Something had happened to her, Shego realised, in the time since they'd talked on that rooftop downtown. Somewhere, in the midst of the entire night's adventure, Kim had slowly begun to draw some kind of conclusion about where this game was going, and in the past half-hour, that idea had solidified into something more. Kim's mind was giving off the scent of certainty, determination, and something a little subtler that Shego couldn't identify, but there was also some nervous anticipation, hope, and a fair shot of fear. Shego was quickly coming to the realization that Kim had come to a stunning realization of some kind – had learned something –, and was now about to do something that she didn't think would go over very well.

_Could it be?_ Shego considered the conclusion forming in her head. _Has Kim finally connected to her own feelings? If that's the case, then praise the Lord, this night wasn't wasted. Well,_ she amended; _I guess I _did_ learn my own feelings for the girl, or at least the possibility of them._

"Here goes nothing."

Shego heard Kim whisper the words, so close she could feel her breath on her cheeks. Then, the humidity in the air seemed to triple as Shego suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a thin but visible cloud of water vapour that had only just now become visible. Her vision was blurry, clouded by the increasingly dense cloud surrounding her, and she found herself inhaling whole mouthfuls of cold steam, filling her lungs with the strangely out-of-place moisture, and making her breath come in faintly wheezing gasps. After a moment, the cloud moved away slightly and shrank on itself, condensing into a roughly Kimmie-shaped pillar of water, standing only a few hairbreadths away from Shego. The villainess felt the water in her lungs being dragged back out – much to her relief –, as if drawn to water-Kim.

Finally, the tower of water vapour solidified and took on some colour and texture, turning into Kim Possible. The redhead's eyes were closed as if in concentration, and her hands had moved up Shego's arms to grasp her by the wrists, remaining safely away from the burning and unusually localized plasma energy of her hands.

For an eternity, Kim stood frozen, chest expanding and contracting slowly with her breathing and hands still wrapped around her captive's wrists. Then, her eyes slowly opened and she gazed into Shego's forest-green orbs, their faces centimetres apart. Kim's breathing was slow, calm; Shego could still feel it on her own cheeks. Shego studied Kim's eyes – a slightly brighter green –, as well as her nervous expression, speechless at what she'd just seen the former heroine do.

Kim moved first.

Slowly, as if she expected Shego to break away and run, Kim leaned in and just barely brushed her lips across Shego's.

It was a feather-light touch really. Shyly, almost fearfully, Kim kissed Shego, her mouth closed but relaxed, her entire body tense with apprehension; fearing Shego's reaction to this sudden bold move, and unwilling to proceed any further unless Shego asked for it.

But ask for it she did.

After a single heartbeat's hesitation, during which she was too stunned by Kim's unexpected attack to do anything more than stand still and take it in, Shego found herself using Kim's grip on her wrists to pull the redhead closer, deepening the contact between them. _Oh God_, she thought as her knees weakened under the soft, warm touch of Kim's lips on her own. _I can't believe she's doing this…_Shego pressed her lips more tightly to Kim's, pushing to make sure that this was really happening – that the Kim that was bringing her to her knees was actually here, in her hotel room, kissing her with quickly growing passion. _God, Kim…_

All thoughts out of Shego's head froze as she felt Kim's lips part slightly, a soft, wet tongue reaching out to tentatively run along Shego's upper lip, gently requesting permission to take this kiss further.

Just as Shego's own lips parted in invitation, as if to taunt her, Kim pulled her face away from hers and broke off their first kiss. Her eyes, which had closed just before she'd leaned in, now opened to gaze into Shego's own evergreen orbs. Kim let out the breath she'd been holding and took a moment to study her former enemy's face. Shego remained where she was, not even daring to blink for fear that she'd wake up from this dream.

After an eternity, Kim seemed to be satisfied with her analysis of Shego's face and looked away, her lips curving up to form a brilliant smile. It was another few moments before she spoke, though, in a voice that was barely more than a ghost of a whisper.

"You _do_ feel the same way."

Shego laughed at Kim's cautious statement, her eyes brightening at the girl's nervousness. "Um – doy." She broke into a short, quiet giggle fit, calming herself after a few seconds. "No, I just let anybody kiss me like they're starving for it." She turned away quickly and pulled herself free of Kim's grip, going against every instinct that told her to stay. Reaching out for her almleti-lined gloves, she quickly slipped them on and fastened them down. "Sure took you long enough to clue in to your own feelings; I'd have expected better of a _telepath_." She felt a self-satisfied grin spreading across her face as she turned back to face Kim's surprised look. She moved over to one of the two dark green, simple armchairs that stood by the windows of the hotel room and sat down, knowing that it would probably be best if they had a little chat before anything else happened. _God, more talking...but it's not too bad with Kim. Talking with Drakken, on the other hand…_

Kim came over and joined Shego at the small glass-topped table, taking her place in the other chair. "Yeah, well." She stopped and narrowed her eyes at Shego, "hold on – you knew?"

Shego playfully pointed an accusing finger at her, her grin unfazed. "That's _your_ fault, _Kimmie_. You're the one who flooded my head with all those images." Her expression softened somewhat. "Still," her thin smile grew more pleasant, "I like how it turned out."

Kim grinned too. "Yeah, I was kinda hoping for that."

Shego crossed her arms and sat back, turning serious. "So, where do we go from here?" She looked around the room carefully. "What do you want to talk about, hero-girl?"

Kim's grin shrank, becoming secretive and somewhat nervous. "Well, that depends – is your offer still on the table?"

_Is she serious?_ "Of course," Shego replied, "Now more than ever, Kimmie." She smirked knowingly. "So, are you in or out?"

Kim didn't need to think hard about it; she'd spent the past half-hour doing that. "In. Kim Possible is about to present a new face to the world."

"Perfect." Shego's face broke out into a light-hearted smile. "Now you get to agree to my terms."

"Aw, crap." Kim sighed, "you just have to win everything don't you?"

Shego brightened even more. "We take turns." She pointed a finger at Kim. "But you know, you were right, Princess; you _did_ cheat. I walked through you three or four times I think – if you were solid, I'm pretty sure that would count as getting caught."

Kim grinned sheepishly, "Yeah well, the game was really more in my favour. It's pretty difficult to catch an elemental."

"Oh, so that's what you are." Shego studied Kim for a moment, amazed at all the things that she was learning about the younger woman. "I was wondering if your turning-into-water act was somehow connected to your healing water trick, and I guess I was right."

Kim shrugged, still smiling. "Pretty cool, eh?" She shifted a little in her chair, but go on – you were about to lay out your terms?"

Shego nodded, growing confident and spreading her thin black-painted lips into another of those arrogant smirks. "Okay, let's see. First condition probably won't be too hard to agree to. If we're going to be working together – for _any_ length of time –, we're going to have to build some kind of trust between us, and given our past history…well," she snorted and allowed herself a moment to wink at her new partner. "You know, it could either be real easy or pretty difficult." Shego looked away for a second. "Okay – now that I think about it, this may be a lot to ask, but I'd like to know any more interesting secrets you've hidden from the world; I don't want any surprises." Now, she sighed and her shoulders dropped just a little as she looked away from Kim. "In return, I'll tell you _my_ story."

Kim thought about it, closing her eyes lightly. "Well, I have no problems; I've already revealed most of my secrets to you. Besides," she stood and moved to stand by the long hotel room window, "Knowing a little more about you would be…interesting." She turned back to smile at Shego.

"I don't doubt that." With a little shiver of pleasure, Shego realized that Kim's particularly delicious excitement was slowly returning and growing more powerful as the retired heroine neared a reality she had never even dreamed of until these past few hours. Shego closed her eyes, and let herself enjoy the incredible taste for just a few seconds. _God – I could sit here all day with that flavour in the air…but we have to move._ Reluctantly, Shego stood from the bed and moved over to her bag, cursing herself for doing this – robbing herself of an opportunity to savour this moment, the beginning of a new life for Kim Possible. "Much as I'd like to stay and chat, we'll have to do this somewhere else." She opened her bag and tossed Kim a long blond wig. "You still can't be seen with me, so wear this."

Kim caught the wig out of midair and stared at it curiously. "Why, pray tell?"

Shego felt a little twitch of annoyance run through her, but it was nothing really. "Global Justice is still watching you, Kimmie. They don't have any idea where I am, but if they catch _any_ hint that we've teamed up, you and I will get one-way tickets straight to the top of their Most Wanted list. This hotel room isn't really private enough for my comfort." She walked over to the closet and opened it, revealing the one place in the room that was completely bare of any trace of Kim's curiosity. _Amateur!_ Shego smiled. _I can't believe you didn't check the closet; I guess you've lost your edge. But don't worry…a few days with me and you'll be back on your game._ "Here Kim, wear this too." Shego pulled her spare motorcycle helmet out of the closet and tossed it onto one of the hotel room's two beds. It was jet-black, just like the majority of everything she owned, with an opaque but not reflective faceplate. Now, it was off to the bathroom. "Give me a few minutes to fix my makeup, and then we'll be out of here." She moved off to lock herself into the room's bathroom. Pulling her kit out of her backpack, Shego set to work covering the smear she'd made in her own disguise.

A couple minutes later, she came out of the bathroom to find Kim staring wide-eyed into a wall mirror. She'd donned the wig as Shego had asked, and the effect was incredible. Because she'd gotten so used to seeing Kim with her bright, fiery red hair, Shego caught herself looking closely at the girl to make sure that it was really her. "Wow," she remarked from where she stood in the bathroom doorway. "You look different."

Kim looked from the mirror to Shego, pausing a few seconds before speaking. "I _feel_ different – looking into a mirror and seeing someone else looking back." She turned back at the mirror, "I feel alive…_free_…"

Shego grabbed her gym bag off the floor and swept the room with a searching gaze, looking for anything she'd be leaving behind. Then, satisfied that the motorcycle helmet she was lending Kim was the only item that remained in the room, she turned to Kim and stepped up close behind her. "Of course you feel alive, Kim – this is your _passion_. Maybe not villainy, but being active at least. You weren't wired for the civilian life, Princess – didn't you know that? I can't believe you've stayed out of the game for this long without losing your mind."

Kim shook her head slowly, her nervousness and slight fear brushing lightly against Shego's senses. "Okay, what now?"

Shego picked the helmet up off the bed and held it out for Kim. "Now we head out."

"Okay," uncertainly, Kim took the helmet from Shego. "I don't get it – if I'm wearing a helmet, why do I need a wig?"

Shego sighed in exasperation. "Man, have you ever worn a disguise? I'm pretty sure you have before." She snorted at a fleeting memory. "Fine – here's your first lesson in deception and stealth. If someone recognizes you with the helmet off, putting it on in front of them won't really help. And just so you know, wearing your helmet when there's no purpose for it will just draw unwanted attention." She headed for the door, shifting her shoulders a little to settle her bag on her back. "Let's go _Kimmie_," she tossed behind her.

"Wait." Kim turned the helmet over in her hands, her brow furrowed in thought. "There's a purpose for the helmet? I didn't know Ferrari made motorcycles."

"If they do, you're about to be sorely disappointed, because my ride isn't a real Ferrari. She might have the heart of a Ferrari, but she sure doesn't look like it." Shego smirked at Kim's dubious expression but before Kim could ask more, she ended that line of conversation. "Just you wait and see." She opened the door and quickly stepped out into the hall.

_Here we go_, she thought as she glanced back at her new partner in crime. _And perhaps more...?_

_Hope I don't mess this up_.

* * *

_So_, Kim thought. _This is what it feels like to be a villain_.

She stared herself in the mirror and barely recognized her reflection staring back. The blonde wig was good – _really_ good. Kim could already see how people would have difficulty identifying her without a few minutes' scrutiny. A change of clothes, some makeup, maybe even some coloured contact lenses, and who knew? She might even be able to pass by her own family unrecognized.

_No_. Kim turned away from the mirror at Shego's voice. _This isn't villainy. This is what it feels like to play dress-up and I've done that before. Halloween and some of the missions were just a few times. But there _is_ something different about dressing up like this – this feeling of preparing, of anticipating something. Maybe it's the coming change of lifestyle perhaps – when I actually _will_ become a villain. Of course, I won't be a very evil villain, but I won't really be the best friend of the law. If they try to stop us, we'll have to fight._ "I _feel_ different," she found herself replying to Shego's remark. "Looking into a mirror and seeing someone else looking back." She looked back at the mirror, feeling something stir inside her chest. It was that old twitch in her heart, the little tremor that had accompanied her throughout her career as a Heroine; the exhilaration, the excitement, the sense of purpose – of _belonging_. "I feel alive…_free_…"

She heard Shego move behind her, and then her voice brushed against her ear. _Beautiful_, she closed her eyes and savoured the quiet sound that she had never just stopped to listen to until now. _Like music…the sweetest music I've ever heard in my entire life…How could I have missed seeing this when it was in front of me this whole time?_ "Of course you feel alive, Kim." Now that she was taking the time to just listen to the sound of her one-time arch-foe's voice, Kim felt a slight flutter echo through her chest. "This is your _passion_."

_Passion?_

Kim looked at Shego through slightly wide eyes. _Oh, I could think of another passion I've just discovered, Shego. I could easily think of another…Whoa!_ Kim stopped herself as she realized where her thoughts were leading. _No. Bad, Kim! There are a lot of things that are supposed to – and should – go between a first kiss and…_that.

_A _lot _of things._

"She might have the heart of a Ferrari, but she sure doesn't look like it." Shego's reply sounded amused, like the once raven-haired villainess was thoroughly pleased with herself.

_What?_

Kim came to her senses, realizing that she had been carrying on the conversation while she'd lost herself in her rather…racy thoughts. With a quick moment's thought, Kim was able to remember what had been said – both by her and by Shego – so she could quite easily continue the conversation without anyone realizing what had just happened.

"Just you wait and see." Shego stepped out into the hallway, and Kim picked up her thoughts:

'_Hope I don't mess this up.'_

Unable to help herself, Kim jogged to catch up with Shego and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, Shego – I'd forgive you if you did. And besides," she stopped walking and pulled Shego close, turning her so they faced each other, "now that I realize what to do about _this_," she waved a finger between the two of them, "I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

Shego made no attempt to move away, and instead moved closer to wrap her arms around Kim's waist. "You know, this isn't so bad, _Princess_." She studied Kim's face with an unreadable expression. "But I'd like it if you could stay out of my head. I'd like to keep a few secrets – at least for now."

Kim sighed quietly. "I'm sorry, Shego. My telepathy sometimes decides to do something without me, and all I can do is watch and feel. I've worked on controlling it for years, but I've never been this close to someone else's mind for so long, so my focus is starting to slip." She started moving her hips slowly from side to side; dancing to music only she could hear. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

Shego went along with Kim's dancing, following her lead. "I can't believe you, Kim." Her voice was no louder than a whisper and close enough that her breath warmed Kim's cheeks.

"What?" Kim continued their slow dance to silent music, her eyes closing lightly of their own accord as a soft, content smile spread across her face.

Shego looked at Kim, studying the younger woman's expression carefully, "I've known about your feelings for almost four years, and I realized my own feelings for you last night." She took a breath, gazing at Kim with something approaching respect or even awe. "I've known both sides all night, and I did nothing. But you," she tilted her head to one side, "you only learned your side ten minutes ago." She swayed gently with Kim, almost hearing the music herself. "You couldn't have known how I'd take it – not without your telepathy, and you're too noble to actively tear into someone else's head –, but you still made the first move." She smiled faintly. "How could you do it? I knew how you felt for me, but I couldn't do anything because I thought you'd deny your own feelings, not knowing how you felt in the first place. Or maybe you'd be too ashamed to admit to anyone by yourself."

Kim didn't answer for a second; she was starting to lose herself in her dancing with Shego. "Never in a million years, Shego." She opened her eyes and gazed straight into Shego's – bright green staring into dark evergreen. "I _did_ think about it, though, but I thought it would be unfair to you if I didn't tell you how I felt."

Shego continued gently swaying her hips slowly to their private, silent music. "I like how you talk," she grinned, thinking about the way Kim had gone about confessing her feelings, and then grew serious again. "But weren't you afraid?"

"Terrified," Kim replied honestly. "Part of me thought everything I'd seen in you that I took for love was only an illusion – that you were no more than a guilty woman trying to make up for accusing me of mutating your hands. I thought you'd feed me some cheesy line like in the movies – how you're flattered, but you don't like me, '_that way_'."

Shego laughed softly at that. "And still you went for it." She beamed at the redhead. "That's the fearless Kim I know."

Kim stopped dancing and studied her new partner closely. "I thought we'd already established that I'm not fearless; I'm just not afraid of fear. I'm afraid of many things, but I will _never_ fear facing them."

Shego sighed quietly and pulled away from Kim's embrace, evoking a little noise of protest from the natural redhead. "Oh, stop it." She chuckled at a sudden thought. "If you had your way, we'd _never_ get out of this hotel."

Kim grinned widely. "Don't I know it?" She reached out with one hand and grabbed one of Shego's to keep her from escaping. "But you're still not going anywhere."

Shego's reply was barely a whisper. "Who said I wanted to?" Turning away, she pulled Kim along behind her as she walked toward the elevator. "It's a matter of necessity; we still have to get away from the prying eyes of Global Justice." Coming to a stop, Shego tapped on the down button. "But seriously – this partnership is going to take a really long time to work out if you've lost your fighting spirit." Kim looked about ready to argue that suggestion, but Shego spoke first, silencing the girl with a gloved finger to her lips. "The nature of fearlessness is not to be without fear, Kim – that's stupidity. To be truly fearless is to understand your fears and face them – to know what your limits are and transcend them – to see your obstacles and overcome them."

The elevator dinged at them, opening to reveal a thankfully empty car. Shego stepped on, her gloved hand still held in Kim's grip.

Kim smiled again as she followed Shego, releasing her hold on the leather-encased hand. "That sounded very Zen, Shego – villainy 101?"

"No," Shego leaned back against the far wall of the elevator car and crossed her arms. "Courage 101. The word has lost its true meaning in the modern world. My sensei was only half-Chinese, but he definitely preferred that side of his family. He taught me everything I know about fighting – pretty quickly too, I might add." She sighed wearily. "I guess his idea was to make me more aware of myself and my world. Some student I am, eh? I was fooled for three years by a walking blueberry whose IQ was probably in the single digits." Uncrossing her arms, Shego stared into her hands, suddenly saddened.

Kim resisted the urge to take the abruptly morose woman into her arms. Shego had been right about their need to get out of there to a safe hideout, and if anything could draw attention or delay their escape, it was the comforting gesture that Kim had just aborted – as well as the…_"gestures"_ that would follow since both women would probably desire closer contact, regardless of Shego's own ability – or inability – to do so.

_No_, Kim thought. _I can ease Shego's pain later. For now…_ "If your teacher taught you something like that, I definitely want to meet him."

"And you will," Shego brightened slightly. "He made me promise to visit him when I'd found my own apprentice."

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Kim recalled Shego's words from earlier. "Apprentice? You said I played second to no one – that I was _nobody's _sidekick."

Shego studied her with an even look. "And I meant it." She looked away, as if she felt a little guilty about her next words. "However, if you want to survive in my world, you're going to have to learn a few of the finer points of this lifestyle. But don't worry. You have everything you need; a quick mind, killer moves, and a friend to guide you until you're ready to go solo – if that's what you want." She grinned knowingly.

Kim snorted derisively, "as if _that'll_ happen. I'm not going anywhere."

Shego nodded, smiling, "Of course." She clenched one hand into a fist, only to relax it a second later. "So, we'll head to my place for a while; have a nice chat, and finally your first act of villainy."

"Sounds like a plan," the elevator came to a stop and Kim stepped off, feeling a tremor run up her spine. _This is it_, she thought. _And so dawns a new day for Kim Possible. Watch out Global Justice – you've pissed off the wrong retired heroine.._. She started toward the greater area of the lobby. As she passed the front desk, she stopped and turned her faint smile on the man behind it. "Thanks again for your help."

He blushed, his eyes wide. "It was my pleasure, Ms Nordham." He narrowed his eyes at her suddenly, his eyes fixed on her head. "I didn't realize you were wearing a wig earlier, ma'am."

Kim carefully controlled her reaction to the concierge's statement. _Wow_, she thought. _This guy's either an idiot or the wig really _is_ that good; I'm impressed_. Kim glanced behind her at Shego. The formerly solo villainess had stopped to watch how well Kim could think on her feet. "Yeah," she turned back to face the all-too-helpful concierge. "I wanted to be able to slip by Teri if she was still here." Kim smiled again. "Thanks again."

The man nodded, turning to some papers on his desk. "Have a good day, Ms Nordham."

"I plan to, thanks." Kim smirked at Shego and headed for the doors. "Apprentice," she muttered under her breath, "I think not." She smiled widely at her partner, her brilliant green eyes shining.

Apparently, her smile and good mood were contagious. Shego's grin matched Kim's and her eyes gleamed with amusement. "That was pretty slick, Kim. Like I said – a quick mind," she moved ahead to lead the way out of the hotel lobby and into the parking lot. "If that display back there was any indication, you'll be ready in a few weeks, a month tops."

Kim raised an eyebrow, "and then you'll consider me an equal?"

Shego sighed as she scanned the parking lot – not for her car of course; Kim knew the villain had to have memorized the location of her own transport. Shego was more likely searching the parked cars for anything suspicious – like the few occupied cars that could potentially contain Global Justice agents that would follow them. "I already see you as an equal Kim," she began, still scanning the parked cars and trucks. "You just need to expand your skills a little more before you'll really be at my level – as a _villain_." She emphasized the last word for Kim's benefit.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're a law-keeper, Kim. Retired or not, _that_ is what you are." Shego lowered her voice for the next part. "Back when you were active, a failed mission wasn't necessarily the end of the world because you'd always get a chance to track down the bad guys later. So, you could afford to relax a little on a mission. In my line of work, on the other hand," she placed a palm to her own collarbone, "I don't often have the luxury of being able to get careless. A failed mission will usually end in arrests, so every detail has to be in place, every contingency ready."

Kim smiled playfully. "So, you're saying that you're better than me because you're a villain?"

"No," Shego smirked. "I'm saying that my skills are trained to focus on something a little different than yours. If you want to work with me, you're going to have to learn to think like me," her smile turned amused. "And you'll have to get back in shape."

Kim scowled in mild annoyance. "Hey, I've been keeping in shape during my retirement. I'm better than I've ever been." She stopped herself from wincing as she remembered her thoughts from earlier. Her self-training strategy had been more geared towards developing and controlling her more…superhuman powers. The frequent _physical_ training sessions she'd held with those many hired thugs were hardly enough to keep her at the top of her game – not like when she used to fight for her life against the same woman who now stood beside her.

Still, it would probably be best if Kim didn't back down on her hasty objection to Shego's rather unfair judgement. "I don't need you to train me more." She narrowed her eyes at the villain. _How dare she? I know we've always fought and mocked each other, but we never suggested that the other's abilities were substandard – just poked fun and pointed out each other's mistakes._

Kim felt Shego's mind flood with guilt and a mild amount of shame. "Look, Kim. I didn't mean to put you down with that, and it was hard for me to say it, but you have to understand. If our places were switched, you'd probably be saying that I'd have to relearn some things about hero-work that I've forgotten since leaving Team Go, and you'd no doubt be feeling just as uncomfortable as I am." She relaxed a little. "But listen – I believe you, Kim. You're fighting probably doesn't need much work, but a practice fight or two will really prove it to me."

Kim laughed. "That actually sounds like fun." She thought for a second, and her heart fell when she realized that she couldn't lie to Shego. Not now, not ever. "To tell you the truth, though, nothing I can come up with is really enough of a challenge to keep me in top shape."

Shego nodded as they rounded a van to come face to face with a jet-black motorcycle. "Yeah," she grinned knowingly at the former heroine beside her. "Hiring thugs to come after you can only do so much."

Kim shook her head, amused. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask how you know my training methods – I'm sure you've been following me for a while." She looked around the crowded parking lot, realizing finally that they had stopped walking. Narrowing her eyes, she turned back to Shego. "So, where's your ride?" She followed Shego's pleased gaze to the sleek, streamlined machine in front of them. "You're joking." She looked down at the helmet still held in her hands. _Actually, no. It makes sense…sort of. Although…_

Shego pulled her own motorcycle helmet out of her bag. "The _Ghost_ is a one-of-a-kind bike, Kim; did you expect anything less from me?"

Kim turned her own borrowed helmet over in her hands and found something in her own memory that made her smile wryly. "No, I guess I don't really see you driving a sports car. A week ago, I might have thought differently, but I've learned a lot about you in the past day, so I suppose my mental image of you has changed quite a bit."

Shego looked thoughtful for a moment. "On the other hand, you know…Back when you were in the game I rarely took the _Ghost_ outside the Montreal Lair. Teri Nordham was a clean identity – and still is, hopefully – so she needed a clean set of wheels. Back then, I was a sports car kind of girl, so your image of me wasn't completely off." Glancing at Kim, Shego pulled her small gym bag off her shoulder and held it out for Kim. "You get to carry this, _Kimmie_."

Kim accepted the bag and trailed her gaze along the smooth curves of Shego's bike, feeling an odd thrill trickle down her spine at the thought of riding through the city on this thing with the tall villainess she'd just thrown in with. She nodded her head slowly, acknowledging Shego's words before their meaning actually really sank in. After a moment, her head snapped around to study her long-time rival's face through wide eyes. "Wait – Drakken has a Montreal Lair?"

Shego shrugged. "It's a long story, and not one that we should start now." She threw one leg over the bike and slipped her helmet on. "For now, let's ride." In one smooth motion, she fired up the unimpressive-looking bike's engine and slid forward on the bike to free up some space for her partner. "Hop on."

Tightening the strap of Shego's bag on her shoulder, Kim mounted the bike, taking the seat behind the slightly older woman. Slipping her helmet on over her blonde wig, she wrapped one arm around Shego's waist. "I'm ready – hit it."

"Alright Kimmie," Shego popped the clutch, her mind streaming pleasure, satisfaction, and something else. "You asked for it."

She gunned the engine.

* * *

_It couldn't have turned out any better than this._

Shego grinned inside her black helmet. The outcome of the past night's events, and their after-effects that morning, was everything she could have hoped for – especially after the revelation she'd had when she'd toured Kim's apartment alone. It had taken very little work on Shego's part to bring Kim over to her side of the law, which really surprised the experienced thief.

Sparing a split second to glance behind her at Kim, whose expression was unreadable because of the impenetrable faceplate of the redhead's helmet, Shego considered everything she'd seen since she broke into Kim's apartment the evening before. _I suppose Love can be a strong motivator_, she thought, _but I think there's something else going on. Something else has happened tonight to convince her to take my offer. I could be reading too much into it, but I just can't believe that Kimmie joined me simply because she found out she loves me. But, if I'm right, what other reason could she have to join me? She's never had any love for the criminal life – why now?_

Shego focused her mind back on her driving and she took note of her surroundings. They were about five minutes out from her new house. "Hold on Kim," she shouted behind her, trying to get her voice to pierce through the rushing wind that surrounded the speeding bike. "We're almost there!"

"Spankin'," came the redhead's reply, equally loud, "cuz this wig is starting to itch."

"Now you know how I felt sitting in your apartment wearing _my_ wig." Shego thought back to the days after she'd left Drakken for dead – or paralysed at the very least. Cutting her hair almost all the way to her scalp hadn't been a terribly difficult decision to make, but she had nevertheless been a little reluctant to part with one of her defining traits – the things that made her _Shego_. In the end, however, the necessity for a disguisable face won out over her personal preference. At the time, she had wanted to get back to the States for a little while, so she'd had to bury Shego – notorious criminal super-thief – and earn some experience as Teri. _And I'd be lying if I said the look on Kaia's face when I offered her my hair wasn't damn cute. Besides,_ she eased up on the throttle as they approached the exit for Hudson. _I know who I am and when it all boils down, does anyone else really matter?_ She glanced back at Kim again. _Well, Kim matters a lot I suppose, especially now that we've established where we stand after four years apart._

"Well now," Kim cried out from behind her. "Isn't that a nice thought?"

Shego felt the taste of her new ally's excitement in the air and couldn't help but grin inside her helmet. Throughout the entire ride, Kim's mind had never lost its excitement completely, much to Shego's delight. Now, Shego realized that while Kim's delicious excitement was no less sweet on her lips, as most real flavours became with too much constant exposure, and it also wasn't distracting her from the road as much as it had been when they first left the hotel. Though that scent-flavour was still as exquisite as ever, she had become accustomed enough to it that she could focus on other things and lose herself in the sweetness when she could afford to split her attention.

Grinning more widely at this thought, she looked back at Kim again. "What did I tell you about digging through my head?" She feigned anger and disappointment, sensing that Kim would be able to see through her act. "I'd like it if you would keep out for a while."

Kim giggled softly behind her before raising her voice. "You don't fool me,_ Teri_. You don't care that I'm rummaging through your mind – completely by accident of course. You're just angry because I'm not giving you a chance to talk about it – to share your thoughts on your own." She paused and Shego heard her heave a quiet sigh. "You'd gladly share with me if I gave you the chance, but I keep forgetting that. Sorry, but like I said – sometimes I can't control my telepathy." She laughed again, "and spending so much time around you all at once isn't really helping matters."

Shego's smile faded. "Don't worry about it; you'll learn it all eventually." _I promise._ "I just want you to slow down – enjoy the ride a little."

Kim didn't reply as Shego turned off the highway. This area was heavily forested with buildings interspersed among the trees, as if playing hide-and-seek. Making her way through the twists and turns of the road, Shego was far too focused on her driving to do any more deep thinking. Besides, Kim's excitement had suddenly spiked higher again, and she had to split her attention between driving the _Ghost_ and building up some kind of mental block to keep Kim's uniquely powerful emotions from affecting her thinking. Much as she wanted to lose herself in the deliciously exotic flavour, she knew it would be a colossally bad idea to do it at eighty kilometres an hour on a winding road that was quite well suited for rally racing.

_There'll be time enough to enjoy Kimmie's excitement later_.

Kim resisted the urge to cry out her excitement. She'd always loved driving on winding forest roads, and Shego must have sensed this; she was pushing the bike far past the posted speed limit, taking the sweeping the turns in the road at a pace that bordered on reckless, as if she were trying to frighten Kim with her dangerous driving.

The redhead wasn't afraid, however, far from it. In fact, she hadn't had this much fun since before she'd retired – the last time she'd faced Shego actually.

* * *

All too soon, the exhilarating ride came to an end at the bottom of a short dead-end street. Shego's place was a cozy, medium-sized house with a small garage, surrounded all around by scatterings of tall trees. It screamed privacy, which was the thing Shego probably enjoyed the most about this property. Shego killed the bike's engine and turned back to look at Kim.

"We're here."

Kim got off the parked bike and looked around at her surroundings. The house was situated towards the back end of the slightly longer than normal plot of land, giving it even more privacy. Marking the boundaries of this dead-ended mini-neighbourhood was a long four-metre high hedge on the left edge of Shego's property that ran from the right edge of a neighbouring lot, past the left side of her house, around the corner to the back edge, and on into the backyard of her next-door neighbours property.

"Cozy." Kim looked over as Shego dismounted. "I see you like your privacy."

"I do," Shego pushed her bike into the garage. "Come on, there's not very much inside, but no one knows we're here so we don't have to worry about spies or GJ."

"That's good to hear…Teri." Kim smiled at Shego's remark. So, now they had their privacy – what would they do now?

Shego led Kim into the empty kitchen from the garage and coughed softly. "So, now that we're here, let's see what Nerdlinger gave you to play with." She looked around, "come on upstairs. There's more comfortable furniture."

"Lead the way," Kim sighed. _So, I'll be the first to lay all my cards on the table, eh? I can live with that._ She followed Shego through the house, glancing quickly into the empty rooms. Shego was right – she didn't have very much. Kim saw a couch, a dining table, and a rug on her way upstairs and that was about it.

_Actually_, the thought came to her suddenly half-way up the stairs. _I'd kind of like to see what Wade gave me too. I've put it off long enough. _She followed her hostess into one of the rooms on the second floor. _I wonder what four years of time has done for Wade's game._

Kim finally noticed where Shego had led her and she couldn't help but laugh at her new partner. "Now, Shego – don't you think you're moving a little fast?"

Shego sat down on the queen-size bed and leaned back against the headboard, grinning widely. "Now, now Kim; where's your head at? Neither of us is ready to take our relationship up to this level yet." A spark of mischief ignited in her eyes. "So get your ass over her and let's see your new toys."

Kim stared at Shego in disbelief, but complied a moment later, dumping out her bag on the bed sheets – black and green, unsurprisingly. "Well, I haven't had time to look at them myself so I guess I'm a little curious too." She sat down cross-legged on the bed, her back to the plain green headboard.

Shego glanced the half-dozen items over and gasped suddenly. "_No way…_" She reached out and carefully picked up a thin banded silver bracelet. As it moved, the light in the room played along its surface, making it look like it was coated with some kind of oil, but it was completely dry. Oily smooth, but bone-dry.

"What?" Kim looked more closely at the bracelet in Shego's hand. It looked vaguely familiar, almost like – "the _Centurion_ Project?"

"I don't believe it." Shego stared at the harmless-looking little thing. "After all the trouble it caused everyone last time, super-nerd's giving it back to you?"

"I don't know." Kim spoke hesitantly, pulling her Kimmunicator out of her pocket, "but I'm definitely looking up Wade's file before I try this one out." She powered up the new device, which was about the size of a bit of a bulky calculator and started to navigate her way through the menus. "Alright, where is that info file…?" She pressed keys quickly.

She found it a moment later – _Centurion Project 3.0_.

Shego was watching over Kim's shoulder, her chin resting lightly on her new partner's collarbone. "What the hell does _that_ mean, '_3.0_'? What – could this thing turn into any_more_ of a problem?"

"Shh!" Kim opened the file. "It's starting."

"Hey Kim," Wade's face appeared onscreen. He didn't wait for a response since the video was pre-recorded. "I see you've found my little pet project. Now, don't overreact, I made sure to get every spec under control before I built it; there won't be a disaster like last time."

He paused to smile wryly at the camera. "First, a history lesson…about 2 years ago, Global Justice managed to obtain the _Centurion Project_ from Centaur Labs, and they enlisted me and a team of three other scientists to work out the glitch that caused you so much trouble. The three stooges were told to work on modifying the armour and the weapons into something that would be more suitable for agents, since the original was created for soldiers, while I was supposed to work on the programming and eliminate the glitches that caused you so much trouble so we wouldn't have agents shooting each other in the field." He grimaced. "So, as much as I wanted to leave the programming as is, because the agents are all jerks now, I had to do what was ordered – you know, because of my contract and all."

He paused, and took a quick sip from a water bottle he produced from outside the camera's range.

"I kept it simple and eliminated the subconscious response subroutines in the programming. Now, if an agent wants the suit to do something, it now requires a verbal command, like, 'lasers' or, 'jet-pack'. It's kinda boring if you ask me, but Global asked for a simple alternative to subconscious response. _That's_ the _Project_ that GJ has."

The boy smiled smugly.

"It took me an entire year of weeks-off to make your version, but I've upgraded it considerably. Of course, I didn't expect that _you'd_ be the one to field test it since you've left the game. This was mainly just a precaution for me. See, I already knew that Global Justice was pretty dirty, so I designed _3.0_ as a defence against _2.0._ And, you know, I'm pretty proud of some of the mods I've made."

Wade's face vanished to be replaced by a series of still photos of various bits and pieces of the armoured battle-suit that the bracelet would expand into.

"Almost every program in the suit has been completely redesigned – by yours truly of course. I tore every subroutine apart and rebuilt it from the ground up."

The still photos were replaced by an image of the original, complete suit.

"So, let's get started. First of all," the disembodied voice paused. "I've put all of the subconscious commands back into the programming, but they're all inactive until you customize the user options when you first activate the bracelet. So, I'd suggest running through everything before you go into a hostile situation with the suit because it'll be virtually useless until you activate at least some of the commands. As it stands, the suit is completely subconsciously-activated and controlled – all except the start-up command which will activate as soon as you put the bracelet on. But don't worry; start-up will only bring you to the main menu, where you can customize security, commands, and everything else that has to do with the suit."

Wade's voice continued after a second.

"Now, about the suit itself: I've removed a lot of the blocky components that make the suit look so strange and unnatural, like the shoulder cannons – I remember you saying you didn't have any use for them – and the head covering, which just looked weird. Everything I left behind, on the other hand, I took some time to streamline and thin down. All in all, when _3.0_ expands, it won't rip apart anything you're wearing like last time, and your clothes should be able to cover it quite easily, giving you that added blessing of surprise if you activated it _before_ going into a situation. The first thing I cut down was the jet-pack. Now, when it comes out, it'll be wider and longer across your back, allowing it to stick out far less – no more than about ten or fifteen centimetres."

As the young genius outlined each of the changes he'd made, each component appeared on the four-inch screen of the Kimmunicator as it had been originally, and then morphed as the computer programmer spoke.

"I think you'll be happy to know that I worked a lot on the forearm blasters, too. They look a lot cooler – less Hollywood Sci-Fi and more classic. I also added a variable blast power switch; ranges from mild burn to something powerful enough to melt through several metres of concrete in about half-a-minute. I doubt you'll ever use it, but just so you know it's there. And just to keep it all safe, the power selector is completely manually operated – I didn't want any subconscious impulses or reactions to be able to influence something that dangerous and blast someone like Monkey Fist to oblivion just because he got a lucky shot in and your immediate reaction is to get even. I know you're not really like that, but every human being's subconscious is wired about the same way, so you'd have at least an instant of bloodlust in response to something like that."

There was another pause, and Kim heard Wade take a particularly loud drink of water as the image on the screen focused on the metal gloves of the suit.

"I've also added a grapple launcher into the palm side of each wrist, so you don't have to rely completely on your own grappling gun."

Wade's face returned to the screen.

"So essentially, _CP 3.0_ is supposed to act as a lightweight suit of armour, but it should also be able to get you out of most tight spots. And where I programmed _2.0_ to respond to verbal commands, _3.0_ is engineered to respond to commands that you choose, be they gestures, verbal, or subconscious or conscious thoughts. And, as you know, the suit will augment all of your natural abilities, but I've made sure it won't take over the action like last time. I remember you told me how worried you were that Shego would get hurt when you were fighting her in the suit, and while I find your compassion for your nemesis a little strange, I can understand your worries if there were an innocent bystander nearby. You don't need to worry about the suit causing widespread destruction without your approval."

He grinned. "If you want it to destroy a building, you'll have to do it yourself."

Shego gave Kim a strange look but said nothing, turning back to the small screen.

"Now," Wade continued, "let's talk about the menu of the suit. As I said before, the bracelet will activate as soon as you put it on, but it won't deploy fully until you've configured it to your liking and saved your configuration. What's going to happen is, the glove on that side will deploy, as well as a network of allow lines that will run up your arm, neck, and face to your eyes, forming a special VR-visor that I developed just for you. The visor – which actually resembles a rather slick set of shades – and the glove together make up _CP 3.0_'s central command menu, which is accessible through the default command of pressing the nosepiece of the visor."

Wade mimicked adjusting a pair of glasses to sit higher on his nose.

"You can reprogram the menu-access command, but I figure this one could do until you got into the menu and messed around with the settings yourself. And about the menu itself," he paused again, "the glove and the visor are linked together by the alloy-line network. The menu will appear on the visor and you can manipulate items in the menu by using the glove like a mouse. Activating icons is done by pressing on it, like a button on a wall."

Wade paused and smiled suddenly, mischievously.

"You'll have to figure everything else out on your own, but I _do_ have one more upgrade to talk about; it's the only other weapon that I've designed into the suit."

He sat back as on of the suit's hand's appeared in a caption box on the right half of the screen.

"I actually feel pretty good about the way this one turned out. To make an extremely long story…a little less long, it's the only weapon that should effectively take down another _CP_ suit without too much trouble. As you know, the _Centurion Project_ can heal itself, but that takes energy. The right glove of _3.0_ is covered with microscopic energy-burst emitters, which I've programmed with only one purpose: to program lower-model suits. The other suits all broadcast an easily recognizable energy signature that – when detected – will activate the emitters in the palm of your right glove. _3.0_'s energy signature is on a far higher frequency and I worked the emitters to be incapable of detecting that high, so you don't have to worry about the glove backfiring. The only sign you'll see that the emitters are active is that your bracelet will glow a light blue. If you can get your right palm in complete, unbroken contact with the other suit for one full second, the emitters will fire, and infect the other suit with a virus I've designed that will reprogram the lower-model suit to heal damage by draining energy from the wearer themselves instead of the unit's rechargeable power core. I should say _herself_ because it's most likely that any _CP_-operator you run into will be the stuck-up girl who took your place as GJ's top agent – not freelance, of course. Now, don't worry, the reprogramming won't cause the suit to kill its operator, but if the suit keeps trying to heal damage, its wearer will eventually faint from the strain and the suit will just shut down, shrinking back to a bracelet. Remember this – the emitters won't work if you're wearing something over the glove to hide the fact that you're wearing the _Centurion Project._"

The box on the screen collapsed, and Wade's face took over again.

"Okay, last thing: deactivating the suit. I really think this part is kinda cool."

An image of the VR-visor Wade had mentioned appeared on the screen. They really _did_ look more like a pair of sunglasses than a virtual-reality display.

"After you've customized the suit and unlocked the complete suit, the arms of the glasses will expand to wrap around your head," the glasses on the screen changed as Wade spoke, transforming into a large ring with lenses and a nosepiece. "Right at the back of your head, there'll be a small, flat pad."

The image changed again, and the part of the ring directly opposite the nosepiece expanded on itself into a small circular disc.

"There're really two stages to deactivating the suit. The first step is deactivating the right glove. To do that just…uh – clap your hands."

He shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

"Alright – it's a lame command action, but I couldn't think of anything else. You can reprogram that one to any command that isn't already being used, but let's move on…Um…right. Once your right glove has collapsed, just press your middle finger on the pad on the back of your head. It's a fingerprint scanner, and will have to be programmed first thing as soon as you activate the start-up mode of the suit." He paused for a moment and the box with the glasses collapsed so Wade could have the whole screen again. "That about wraps up my tutorial on _CP 3.0 –_ good luck with it," the screen of Kim's new Kimmunicator went black for a moment before returning to the main menu.

Kim blinked for a few moments before looking from her Kimmunicator to the innocent-looking silver bracelet dangling from Shego's finger. She sighed wearily before glancing behind her at the super-thief's strangely thoughtful – and unusually close – face. "Do you have _any_ idea how much trouble I was in because of this thing?" She took the silver-coloured bracelet from her partner.

Shego snapped out of her daze. "Eh?" It took her a moment to process the redhead's words, but then she giggled quietly. "Yeah, I overheard while they were piling Dr D, Killigan and me into a paddy wagon." Kim didn't miss the way Shego's anger spiked at the mention of her former boss. She still laughed softly, though, "It really shook those two that you weren't actually the perfect little girl that they'd taken you for. They gossiped about it for _hours_ – it was so annoying."

"Because you hated even the mention of my name back then?" Kim's voice held no bitterness or anger at the nature of their relationship over the last few years – that old animosity was obviously a thing of the distant past.

Shego hesitated before replying. "No…even back then, I hadn't hated you for a long time. I just never realized that the feelings Drakken convinced me to feel weren't real."

Kim tilted her head curiously. "How? I never got any chances to explain myself."

"You didn't need to," Shego replied simply. "Your innocence in my accident was proved in our encounters over the years." She looked away guiltily. "I never consciously realized it until just before I left Drakken, but I stopped blaming you for my accident pretty early on. Drakken was good enough to fool me for a while, but I guess he thought I didn't have much of a brain."

Kim stood from the bed and stretched. "What do you mean by that?"

Closing her eyes, Shego looked back on her many encounters with the younger woman standing beside her bed and examined the revelations that were so clear now but had been all but invisible back then. "After meeting back up with you over and over and seeing that you never stooped to the level my oh-so-caring employer claimed you had, my subconscious mind began to build its own image of who you were, which was nothing like what Dr D ever said." She frowned slightly, "it's too bad it took so long for me to catch up to my subconscious. "She grinned as she waved a finger between herself and Kim. "We might have tried this sooner."

The redheaded former heroine smiled gently. "Maybe, but I doubt it." She turned around and sat heavily on the bed, ending up rather close to Shego. "You were a little too into Drakken's whole 'I want to rule the world' gig for my taste."

Shego burst into peals of laughter at that, nearly falling off the bed. "You're kidding, right?" She paused to catch her breath, still giggling just a little. "I never bought into Dr D's take-over-the-world ambitions. I was in it for the thrill, for the raw emotions that everyone around me would broadcast at my very appearance." She glanced at Kim, "you too."

"Yeah, about that," Kim was a little uncomfortable with what she was about to ask, but her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. "Back in your hotel room, why were you talking about the taste of my excitement?"

Shego's eyes brightened a little as she grinned sheepishly, obviously a little embarrassed about what she'd revealed in that moment. "That's…a little…hard to explain."

Kim just studied her new partner sceptically, "what – are you an emotion vampire?" When Shego didn't reply, and instead ducked her head nervously, Kim's eyes grew wide. "You _are_? Wow, that's really cool; strange and a little freaky but cool just the same."

An amused snort was Shego's first attempt at a reply. "Well, I _do_ have to eat still, just like you, but it's pretty much the same as your magical power over water." The short-haired redhead paused for an incredibly long-seeming few seconds, as if she had never put this into words before but, knowing Shego, she probably hadn't, so Kim let her think out her words. "Okay – see, every living person gives off emotions, which isn't so big a deal, but what matters is that, to me at least, every feeling has a certain taste or smell. You know – happy, sad, nervous, embarrassed, afraid, amazed, excited – they all have their own flavour." She smiled distantly. "You can thank Fate that negative emotions have the sweeter flavours. It's why I became a villain." She paused again. "I can feed off emotions, so I guess you're right in calling me a vampire. Of course, it's not like I'm stealing their life-force or something. _That_ would have been just a little too weird for me."

Kim nodded her agreement with Shego's sentiments. _That would be a little too sick and wrong for me to stomach._ "So you can feed off people's emotions, but does that mean you aren't affected by them, or do people's emotions influence like you're a mirror."

Shego thought about it for a moment before smiling and nodding her approval. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain everything before you caught on." She stood from her place on the bed and started pacing like she was starting to get restless. "I can prevent myself from copying other people's feelings, but the bonus is I don't have to give up feeding off of them to do it."

Kim thought some more about the strange things she'd seen of Shego that might now be explained. "Back in the hotel room, you touched your bag before saying what I was feeling. Does that mean clothes and things act like sponges for emotions?" She looked up at the pacing Shego expectantly.

Shego smirked. "You know, this is a lot more fun than listening to Nerdlinger prattle on about his upgrades and working his programming mojo." She snapped her fingers suddenly as if a great idea had suddenly occurred to her. "Say, _Kimmie_… what do you say we put the Tech support sessions on hold and do something a little more – I don't know – us?"

Kim let out a soft sigh, but she couldn't help but smile at Shego's – well – _Shego-ness_. "You weren't a very good student in school were you?"

"School?" Shego actually managed to look shocked – except for the tiniest of playful smirks. "What's school? Oh, right – years on end of boredom and tedium; totally unappealing to any healthy, well-adjusted girl." At Kim's only mildly disapproving scowl, the more experienced villain simply grinned even more brightly. "What? Of course I did my stuff – doesn't mean I liked it or made it easy for _them_."

Kim responded with her own smile. "You wouldn't be Shego if you had." She looked away, her tone growing serious. "Still, you want to move onto other business, do you?" A spark of mischief entered into Kim's expression. _We haven't done that in a long time. I'm kinda itching to go at it with her…_ "What do you say to a nice, old-fashioned sparring match to see where we stand after four years apart?"

Shego's eyes brightened. Even her tone changed, almost returning to what Kim remembered of the old Shego. "I say that's the best idea you've ever had – except, you know, whichever decision it was that made you kiss me, of course." Kim blushed a little at that, much to Shego's apparent delight. "But," Shego reached into her gym bag, which Kim had carried up for her, and snatched out a pair of pure-leather gloves. "Let's take it outside, shall we?" She glanced around the room. "I've kinda grown to like my walls the way they are – intact."

Kim nodded absently, just a little distracted by the thrill of anticipation and excitement that shot from one end of her spine to the other and back again. "Lead the way, Shego."

Spare gloves in hand, Shego made a move for the door. "Gladly."

* * *

A/N: MUWAHHAAAA! Another Cliff-hanger!

Next Chapter: Kim and Shego have an actual fight (not angry, mind you), and one of them gets hurt. Whether it's a physical injury or just a bruised pride, you'll have to wait a couple weeks…cuz I'm not tellin' you diddly!

Sorry, guys and gals…

Please review. I enjoy many of your comments on how I'm portraying my two main/only characters.


	8. Heroine's Intent Revealed

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Eighth

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (If you've been reading from the beginning, you'd have seen this by now, as well as my hopefully clear warnings for those of you who may not be as liberally minded as I am.) That means this story may/will eventually/this chapter contain some images of ROMANCE between TWO GIRLS (aka: lesbian interaction - gasp . You've been warned – now go away if you can't be nice.)

**Rating:** Um…Hm…I've got nothing, so why don't I go with the PG-15 that seems to have wormed its way into my story?

**Spoilers:** None this chapter. Perhaps some various mentions of certain episodes.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. I also don't own Ferrari or Holiday Inn.

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our heroines (or villainesses, or is it villainii?), our beloved Kim and Shego were just leaving Shego's house to engage in a little friendly fight. And Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**_Chapter VIII_**

No sooner had Shego exited her house, making sure her straight-leather gloves were fastened in place, than she whipped around with a low kick to sweep Kim's legs out from under her.

The redhead was almost fast enough to leap out of the way, but the slightest twitch in the older woman's leg raised her kick just enough to catch Kim across her rising ankles, unbalancing the ex-heroine just enough to make her land on her pride.

Sitting up from where she'd hit the deck of the wooden porch, Kim made a sour face. "Hey," she groaned, "that was low, Shego."

The black-and-green clad villain only grinned, "Oh, I can go _much_ lower; just you wait and see."

Without replying, Kim surged forward, sliding between Shego's legs and off the porch to land on the villain's grass lawn in an all-too-familiar defensive stance. "I know you can, but let's see if you still know how to fight an honest fight." She raised one eyebrow expectantly, challengingly.

Shego turned slowly, her grin unshaken, and stared down at Kim from her place five steps above her. "Now here's something I've missed." She launched herself into the air, plunging down on Kim with one blazing hand held out like a spear.

Kim swept the hand to one side, spinning away to avoid the rest of the villain. "You've slipped a little, Shego. That should have been harder to avoid." She followed that with a swift kick to her opponent's ribs, but the taller villainess caught her foot in one hand.

Before her gloved hands could melt through Kim's boot sole, she flung it to one side, sending Kim spinning away. "And that kick should have come faster. What's a matter, _Princess_ – getting a little out of practice?"

Kim halted her spin and shook her head, pushing away her sudden dizziness. "Oh, you know how it is; hired thugs don't really make the best training dummies, especially when they're so beneath us."

Shego grinned, eyes shining. "My, my Kimmie. That almost sounded like a compliment." She felt a thrill of pleasure shoot through her body as the two of them fell into step in a dance they hadn't shared for four years. And now that Shego had realized the truth of Kim's involvement in her accident – or lack thereof –, she was able to simply relax and revel in the pleasant rush she'd always so steadfastly ignored in the past.

"Dream on," Kim's retort didn't fool Shego. She knew the truth; Kim loved fighting the older martial artist. "You're so low an insult would be a compliment." The redhead threw a quick left-right combo, which Shego blocked quite easily, unknowingly opening her left side to the lightning fast spin-kick that sent her sprawling to the right, her hip screaming in protest.

Ignoring the familiar stab of pain, Shego climbed to her feet, still smirking. "Aw, thanks, Princess. I didn't know you could be so sweet."

Kim made an attempt at a scowl like she used to whenever Shego turned one of her quips into something else, but her face instead broke into the tiniest smile of pure enjoyment. Her excitement flooded the immediate area as it grew by leaps and bounds with every passing moment, almost causing Shego to drop her guard in favour of allowing herself o simply lose herself in the taste and smell of her new partner's unique and…irresistible flavours. "You know," she started casually, taking a slow step toward Shego. "I actually _have_ missed this."

Shego straightened up and took a split second to roll her left hip, checking it for anything beyond what would eventually be a fair bruise. "It's too bad I didn't hunt you down sooner than this, then." She feinted with her right foot before exploding into a long series of punches and kicks that normally left Kim back-pedaling in an attempt to get away so she could turn the attack around.

This time, however, Kim only retreated for a moment before stopping and catching Shego's arms by the wrist, all-too-aware of the danger posed by the villainess' hands. "So," the redhead flipped over Shego's leg as the formerly night-haired woman tried to kick her off. "Just a quick question while we're…" She grunted as she rolled back to throw Shego behind her. "Hanging out," she finished.

"Go ahead." Shego twisted in midair and landed in a crouch facing Kim, fingers curled like claws.

Kim went on the attack and advanced on Shego. "What will your neighbours think –," she threw a punch, "if they see us –," and another, "trying to kill each other?" She swung again.

"Is that what we're doing?" Shego dodged Kim's first punch, blocked her second, and caught the third in her glowing right hand, tossing Kim aside before her plasma burned through Kim's skin.

Kim tripped over her own feet but sprang back up immediately, shaking out her stinging hand. Even that brief contact had given her a painful burn, but nothing too severe. The old Shego might have tried to hold on just a few seconds longer, so it definitely could have been worse. Satisfied that her darkened hand was posing no immediate threat, Kim dove back into it, sweeping her uninjured hand smoothly in a powerful blade swipe that was supposed to just glance off an opponent after dealing only light – but distracting – damage. Her swift slash grazed against Shego's larynx, digging in just enough to temporarily throw off the villainess' ability to breathe and speak. "Well, Shego?" Kim smirked as her rival dissolved into a fit of coughing. "What'll your neighbours think?"

Caught up in her fruitless attempts to clear her own airway, Shego staggered back, pausing in her coughing to draw in the tiniest amount of air, reopening her windpipe enough to take in a second, larger lungful of air, and then a third…and a fourth.

For her part, Kim simply stood close by and waited, concentrating on the quickly subsiding pain of her burned hand. She glanced around distractedly as Shego finally recovered her voice.

"And you said _I_ was low," she muttered hoarsely, coughing one last time. "But you are learning to play dirty, so it evens out, I guess." She shifted into an aggressive stance. "And don't worry about the neighbours – they'll just think I'm training for another film." She surged forward, her negligible neck injury forgotten.

Kim avoided her lunch, swinging around to shove her opponent lightly, unbalancing her by adding to her momentum. "Film, eh? What kind of films do you make?" She couldn't help the smile that came to her face.

Shego shrugged even as she whipped around to face the redhead. "Action Sci-Fi. It explains away the fighting, the skin, the glowing hands, wardrobe, and my peculiar hours."

Kim couldn't help but laugh at that one. "Action Sci-Fi, huh? Well, what movies have you been in?" She lunged forward in a primitive tackle move that Shego had never fallen for in their entire history together.

Shego snorted, mildly insulted by her partner's assumption that she might actually fall for such a juvenile tactic. "You'll never touch me with that one." She moved to counter Kim's tackle.

"Yeah, well – this one's got a new twist." Kim spun at the last instant, planting both hands in the short, well-kept grass and bending one leg back while keeping the other held straight out. Thus repositioned, Kim transformed her rather useless tackle into a powerful sweeping kick that was aimed high – very high.

Shego reacted like a snake, reaching up and deflecting the kick before the toe of Kim's boot struck her cheek. Then, before the ex-heroine's leg rebounded too far, Shego grabbed the upraised ankle and twisted violently, forcing Kim to choose between spinning with it and risking a twisted ankle. "Impressive, Kimmie." She watched approvingly as the redhead made the split-second decision and follow the spin of her leg. "But just not fast enough."

Kim vaulted back to her feet. "Give me a break," She shook her foot out to try and get rid of the searing sensation caused by her rival's hand. This burn was far worse than the one on her wrist – that much she could tell. "I just taught myself that one a couple weeks ago."

"Sure," Shego dove forward, fists flying. "But about my films." She grunted as one of Kim's blocks jarred her arm a little more than normal. "As far as these small-town hicks know, I'm part of an amateur Trekkie group that films episode parodies and shows them at various conventions."

The very thought of Shego – world-renowned and feared super-villain – travelling around with a troupe of die-hard Star Trek fanatics completely shattered Kim's intense focus. She caught a sharp, plasma-filled punch in the ribs even as she doubled over laughing, the images dancing through her head proving to be just too ridiculous to handle. In fact, the image was so funny that Kim barely felt when one of her ribs cracked under her rival's hand, or the searing heat that washed across her entire left side, leaving an ugly trail of red and yellow burns in its wake. Still caught up in an uncontrollable fit of laughter, Kim wasn't even aware of her heavily burned ankle giving way under her weight, and she fell to the grass of Shego's front lawn.

Shego's attack stopped instantly when she saw Kim on the ground – severely injured but giggling like an idiot. "Oh, come on," she groused, glaring down at the incapacitated redhead. "It's not that funny." She nudged the redhead with one foot. "Come on, Kim – let's get you to some water."

The fact that she had just been burned quite severely finally penetrated the haze of mirth that surrounded Kim and she let out a sudden whimper, growing quiet as she tried to fight back the pain her laughter had so easily covered. "Yeah," she muttered, moving to push herself to her feet. As soon as she put any weight on her foot, however, Kim felt a familiar searing pain lance through her ankle and she collapsed, catching herself on her injured wrist and toppling over even further, landing sprawled on the grass. "Huh," she grunted simply. "I guess you win this round."

Shego raised one eyebrow questioningly. "Okay," she replied, "now let's get you patched up." She motioned towards the house in front of which they'd been fighting only seconds earlier. "Come on – there's a hose around the side of the house; do you need help getting to it?"

"No," Kim found the courage to smile at her new partner's shocked expression. "Check this out," she grinned more widely and placed one hand flat on the grass beneath her. Within a handful of seconds, the hundreds of blades that surrounded her hand began to grow pale as Kim stole a miniscule portion of water out of the grass, filling her with enough of her personal healing liquid for her to be able to siphon off a bit to focus on healing her ankle. After a few moments, her ankle had recovered enough for her to stand on, as long as she took care to move slowly.

Shego watched Kim sway on her feet for a heartbeat before steadying herself. "Will you make it?"

The former heroine just nodded. "I'll be fine; just lead me to the hose and I'll finish up there." She tried to smile reassuringly at the pale-skinned woman. "Trust me."

Still worried, Shego slowly started to move towards the side of the house, motioning for Kim to follow. "It's over this way" Shego fought the urge to lay a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder; it would have done more harm than good. Once again, she cursed her inability to reach out to anyone without hurting them. "Hey, call me ignorant, but if you can suck water out of the grass, why didn't you just completely heal yourself from my lawn? You should know I don't really care how nice my grass is."

Kim laughed tensely at that. "Aw, Shego. You'd give up your lawn for me? That's so sweet." The reached the corner of the house and Kim's heart leapt when she saw the aforementioned hose attached to the house only four metres away. But then Kim's hopes fell sharply when she realized that the precious water source was still four metres away – so far to walk on an injured leg with pain clawing at her ribs. "No, I couldn't completely heal from your lawn." She shuffled forward, half leaning on the wall but still grimacing as her burned ankle complained at the little weight she was putting on it. Apparently, she hadn't taken enough water from Shego's grass to get her ankle completely functional again. "I'd have had to take your entire lawn as well as your neighbours' grass. There's not much water in grass, so it's simpler to just take as much as I need so I can get to a bigger source." She took another step, her ankle popping unnaturally but continuing to hold her weight. "See?" She grunted in agony but kept mobbing, hobbling another step toward the silent hose. "I didn't even get enough water to heal my ankle." Another step.

Shego frowned. "If you can't use your ankle, then why are you walking on it?"

"Because I don't have a choice," the redhead snapped frustratedly. She went for angry, but her pain turned her expression into a gruesome I'm-gonna-be-sick mask. Then, after a moment, Kim turned to smile apologetically at her partner, sending a silent message that she in no way blamed Shego for any of this. "You'd need to run back inside for your other gloves, and the thought of rolling around your lawn sucking up grass-water doesn't really appeal to me." Her voice softened, "not to mention it would probably cause me more pain than I'm in right now." She shuffled a few more steps, finally reaching the hose and its faucet. "Besides," she turned a sly grin on Shego, "It's nice to see how much you care."

Shego was momentarily struck dumb by the look in the former teen heroine's eyes. She saw the familiar respect swirling across the younger woman's face as well as smell her unique excitement – still strong despite her injuries. There was something else too; something seemingly new to Shego that she only now realized had been there for a large part of their three-year war – invisible only because of her own blinding hatred.

_Caring_.

"You," she finally found her voice, "are impossible." _Wow,_ Shego thought. _Who knew looks could silence like that?_

Kim giggled. "That's me," she bent down to spin open the hose's spigot. "Impossible with a K." She let herself slide down the wall to sit heavily on the dirt, raising the uncovered end of the garden hose in her good hand to douse the left side of her torso.

Shego snorted, but couldn't tear her eyes away from Kim's self-healing session. "Hey Kimmie," she began casually. "It's a shame you're not wearing a white t-shirt or this would be a lot more fun." She smirked confidently down at the injured girl.

Kim couldn't help but laugh quietly at that, closing her eyes as an almost pleasant tingle replaced the pain in her side, telling her that it would all be just fine. "Keep dreaming, Shego," she mumbled tiredly, the effort of dragging her broken body all the way to the hose finally hitting her. "You can blame yourself for this – it was _you_ that said we weren't ready for the next step in our relationship." Kim started to redirect the hose to her mildly burned wrist, but a sudden pain in her side reminded her of her bruised or broken ribs. "Hmm…internal injury," she mumbled to herself. "Have to take it orally." She bent over to drink from the hose.

Shego raised an eyebrow at the redhead's choice of words. Kim clearly didn't realize she'd said that out loud and Shego repressed the urge to burst out laughing. Kim was right, though. They weren't ready for the next step. Still, Shego was never one to back down from a good opening. "Hey there, _Princess_. Did you just say orally?"

Kim seemed to ignore Shego's jab, but an amused smile was lighting her face as she pulled it away from the hose. "Stuff it, Shego." She pointed the hose at her wrist and sighed as the pain was just swept away by the water that healed her in just a few moments. "Say, speaking of sweet –," Kim changed the subject but halted mid-sentence, hesitating just long enough to give the older woman yet another perfect opening.

This time, Shego actually did burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Kim!" She giggled at Kim's latest line of ill-chosen words. "Holy crap…you sure you aren't ready for the next step? 'Cuz you're sure talking like you are."

Kim's sigh was one of frustration this time. "What – _Shego! _I'm trying to have a serious discussion."

"What?" Shego spread her hands in the least convincing innocent look she'd ever used. "Inviting me to share the bed is serious." She didn't bother trying to hide her pleasure at seeing Kim squirm. _You're making this too easy, Kimmie._

"Shego," Kim growled warningly, shifting the hose in her hand so it now poured water out onto her half-healed ankle. "What I meant to ask was – uh, you know." She paused and then pointed back in the direction she'd limped from just a minute earlier. "Back there," she stopped again, face reddening already. "What…um, what did I taste like?" Her face fell into her hands to hide her embarrassment.

Shego just stared open-mouthed at her now-healed sparring partner. _Did you seriously just ask that?_ She felt a sudden swell in her respect for the former heroine. _It took some major guts to say those words, Kim, especially when they could be taken in so many wonderful directions. I'm impressed._ Deciding to let that one slide, Shego just leaned down and offered her forearm to the mortified woman. Seeing the movement, Kim looked up and turned grateful eyes on the villainess, silently thanking her for not turning her question into another innuendo. Seeing the proffered limb, the redhead grabbed on and allowed Shego to pull her up to her feet.

"Excitement," the villainess began finally, making no comment when Kim's hand remained wrapped around her arm just below her elbow. Shego looked at Kim seriously as she thought about the diverse bouquet of flavours that had assaulted her as she and Kim had duelled. "Among other things, but excitement first and foremost." At Kim's curious look, Shego kept going. "The best emotion I've ever tasted is excitement," she said quietly. "It smells like lilies and dark chocolate – tastes like it too."

Kim smiled gently. "Lilies, huh?" Shego nodded dumbly as she was again paralyzed under Kim's compassionate gaze. "Well, lilies and chocolate sound nice." The redhead stepped close and raised one hand to rub against the back of Shego's neck, her fingers dipping just below the back collar of the villainess' leather bodysuit. "But they're not the sweetest tastes in the world." Kim's voice was bordering on a seductive purr as her hand rubbed a little harder on the older woman's neck.

Shego was too distracted by Kim's hand on her neck to see what the redhead was doing with her free hand – the one that had been holding onto her arm until a second ago. She didn't mind though; she was feeling all sorts of sensations from just the small contact of the girl's hand on her neck and from the vast collection of emotions that were flowing from Kim's mind. Fear, nervousness, mischief, and…

Excitement.

_God, I love you_, Shego mentally chanted as Kim's hand moved ever so slightly. "Not sweetest?" She could barely think clearly enough to string more than a few words together at once. "It _is _sweetest," she breathed. "There's more to sweet…than sugar."

Somewhere far in the back of her mind, Shego just knew that Kim was up to something devious, but she couldn't help the tiniest shiver of anticipation when she considered what it might be. Whatever it was the cute former cheerleader was scheming, Shego honestly thought it was worth it if Kim would just keep her hand on that spot of her neck, rubbing… "Lilies…chocolate," she finally whispered out, "they have their own kind of sweetness." Kim's long, cool fingers remained on her neck, massaging…Just. Like. That…

"Okay," Kim leaned even closer until her lips were just brushing against the slightly taller woman's soft ear, her breath warm against the side of Shego's face and hair. "But," the hand on Shego's neck dipped a little lower under the green-and-black bodysuit's neckline. "Are they as sweet as revenge?"

In a move so abrupt Shego didn't have any time to realize what was happening, Kim 's hand grabbed the back of her bodysuit's collar and roughly shoved it away from Shego's neck, opening a small gap straight down her back. Shego didn't have any warning before Kim's free hand shot down her into the small passageway, depositing something there; something cold…and wet.

As soon as it hit the bare skin of her back, Shego gasped in shock, instantly sober. _What the Hell?_ She moved to shake the freezing mass out through the legs of her bodysuit, but then remembered a second later that it verged on skin-tight, meaning the ice had to melt a little before it could slide down her body and out of the suit to stop torturing her with it's solid coldness.

Just as Shego's gasp escaped her lips, Kim spun away, a triumphant smirk on her lips. "That," she started, pointing with one hand at Shego while the other disappeared behind her back, a smooth, flirtatious, and triumphant smirk on her lips. "That was for leaving your head in the gutter when we both know you're looking for more than sex out of this."

Shego didn't reply, and instead slammed one fist into the small of her back, crushing the thankfully fragile ball of ice so her body heat would melt it faster. She did her best to ignore the pain of the freezing mass of water resting against her spine. "I'm impressed, _Princess_." Her voice showed exactly how much discomfort she was in, but she honestly couldn't help the grin of enjoyment that spread across her face. _You're playing really dirty now, Kimmie. I love it._..

Cold temperatures were nothing new to Shego – heck, she'd swum in low single-digit temp water before, but it was far worse when it came as a surprise…like Kim's parlour trick had. "I didn't really think you could _create_ water. I thought you'd told me everything." She tried to fix a disapproving glare on her partner, but its effectiveness was greatly diminished by her thorough enjoyment of the events unfolding around her. _Man, I really _should_ have hunted you down sooner. Oh, well – there's time enough to make up for it, isn't there?_

Kim smiled sweetly, infuriating the villain even more. "Oh, you should know better than that, Shego." She took a few steps away from the woman frozen in shock, awe, and cold. "Where's the fun if the mystery's gone?" She grinned more widely, eyes sparkling.

Shego stared, furious and awestruck at the same time. _God, Kim,_ she thought. _I don't know whether to punch you or kiss you. Both sound pretty good right now._

Before Shego could decide what she would do, the frustratingly endearing redhead in front of her drew her hand out from behind her back, revealing a second snowball. As Shego realized what was about to happen, a strange predatory gleam entered Kim's smile and she wound up. She launched the snowball straight at Shego's chin, where it exploded in a shower of snow, spilling a large amount of the frozen water down the front of her bodysuit this time. Shego couldn't hold back a loud, hissing gasp as the crushed ice slid down her body to rest around her belly button.

As if she couldn't see Shego's present discomfort, Kim dropped straight into a defensive stance. "Round two?" She smirked confidently. "Loser has to admit they lost," she challenged.

Grinning despite the snow in her suit, Shego spread her arms, fingers curling into claws. _I actually like this,_ she realized. _I could have done without the snow down my suit, but it's worth it to see that smile. Good Lord, I've finally gone soft._ She looked at Kim's smile again. _Damn, it _was_ worth it._

Then, her thin black lips curling up into her own predatory smirk, Shego prepared herself for the plunge.

"You are so dead, Kim Possible."

* * *

"Oh, I can't believe you!"

Shego came storming into the kitchen through the back door, face contorted into a definite scowl. Her green-and-black bodysuit was drenched and her soaking hair was dripping all over the black-tiled floor. She glared back at the door as the self-proclaimed victor of round five danced into the house, her own clothes singed in a few places – and even almost completely burned through around her ribs. "Hey – I thought I was _supposed_ to fight dirty."

Shego swiped her almleti-leather gloves off the kitchen island where she'd dropped them and pulled off her pure-leather pair. After she was sure she'd switched the pairs successfully, she returned to glaring at the redhead. Gesturing at her _very_ wet appearance, she built up to what promised to be a very nice screaming match. "Almost drowning me is _so_ much lower than dirty." She stalked forward, staring down at her rival angrily. Finally, after a few long and silent seconds, she leaned closer and spoke slowly. "If you expect me to admit I lost, you'll be waiting a long time, _Princess_." She reached up and held Kim's chin with between her thumb and index finger. "As far as _I'm_ concerned, we're still tied even."

Kim stared defiantly into Shego's eyes without even trying to pull her chin away; she'd seen Shego switch her gloves. "It's not my fault you can't dodge a hose, Shego." The tiniest hint of a smile made her lips curl up on one side. _The look on your face when I hit you with that water was just perfect…priceless. I can't _wait_ to see how you pay me back for it…_

Shego's glare didn't fade, but she stepped back a pace. "You didn't _have_ a hose, Possible."

Kim shrugged, dismissing Shego's concern in a way she knew would infuriate her further. "Whatever, Shego. I still say I won," she reached out to grab Shego's shoulders in both hands. "And as such," she turned both of them around so the artificial redhead's back was to the door. "I get first dibs on the shower." With a sly, impish grin, Kim shoved her captive Shego back towards the still-open back door, turned, and bolted for the stairs.

Shego stood frozen for only a moment before giving chase, not bothering to waste her breath on threats that wouldn't be feared.

The soaked and irritated villain charged up the stairs just in time to see Kim blow a kiss to her from outside the bathroom door and then dive into the only shower-equipped bathroom in Shego's house, slamming the door shut behind her. Shego let loose a howl of fury that should have rattled the building's very foundations, but the house steadfastly refused to acknowledge her frustration.

Leaning back against the bathroom door, Kim let out a quiet giggle. _Oh, man – the look on her face when she saw me waiting for her…_Pushing it out of her mind, the former hero moved to start on the shower she'd so rightfully earned, stripping out of her current attire and quickly inspecting each piece for whatever damage the plasma-emitting woman had caused; it was a regular exercise that Kim hadn't done for four years, and it was kind of comforting. The shirt was a lost cause; burned in so many places a heavy wind would simply tear it from her body, and her boots were just a little more worn than before, sporting a very faint, distinctly feminine, hand-shaped indentation across the sole.

Before Kim could move to turn the water on, she heard Shego pound on the door once and then a plain white folder was slid under it. "Here, Kim."

Kim made no move to pick the foreign object up, opting instead to go the route of questioning. "What is that?"

Shego didn't sound very frustrated, so she must have already released her anger over losing the bathroom to her new "apprentice". It didn't make much sense to Kim because she'd glanced into the master bedroom's bathroom and there was a bathtub large enough to hold six people, as well as a sliding door that led out onto a big deck with a relaxing-looking hot tub surrounded by high potted hedges. _So why doesn't she use that – it's clearly better than this stupid shower…_ Kim pushed her curiosity away. Now was so not the best time.

"That's the first job that we're doing together." Shego replied in a clear and commanding voice, which did nothing to spark Kim's anger. It was just the way the green-skinned woman was when she asked someone to do something. "Read it carefully once you're dry," Shego paused and Kim felt a wave of confidence and mischievousness wash through her from Shego's side of the door. "And then, come and find me."

There was the thunder of footsteps rushing down the stairs and then the sound of the front door slamming closed.

Then silence.

Grinning, Kim ignored the folder, leaving it where it was, and just turned back to the shower. "So, it's a game you want, is it?" She randomly turned one of the taps on to full and stepped under the pounding spray, not caring what temperature she was walking into. As long as it was mostly water, she could handle anything. "It's a shame I won't play by your rules," she ran a hand through her long red hair.

Then, she laughed quietly to herself as she reached for the shampoo.

* * *

The first thing Kim noticed when Shego finally stalked into the master bedroom an hour later was that her teacher was a little…upset.

Furious was probably more accurate.

"Okay," Shego slammed the bedroom door shut behind her and slinked towards the bed menacingly. "What the _Hell_ is taking you so long?"

Kim glanced down pointedly at the papers spread out on the duvet beneath her. "You told me to read all this before coming after you." She smiled innocently, knowing that Shego wouldn't fall for her act.

Shego stared at the papers in front of Kim in disbelief. "There were three sheets in that folder Kim. _Three_. What – do you read, like, two words a minute?" She narrowed her eyes suddenly as she turned to study Kim herself with a piercing look. "How long have you been waiting for me?"

Kim grinned "I finished reading about forty minutes ago." At Shego's sceptical look, Kim shrugged casually. "What? I don't take long showers because elementals don't really get dirty," she paused and a sly light shone in her eyes, "not unless they want to."

Shego's jaw dropped at the blatant innuendo. "Then," she paused, unsure of just what was about to come out of her shocked mouth. "Why did you want the shower so bad?"

Kim giggled. "Just because I didn't need a shower doesn't mean I can't challenge you for it. Besides," the redhead fell back onto Shego's soft bedcovers. "Hot showers were a guilty pleasure of mine, you know…_before_." She waved a hand at her own body vaguely.

Shego nodded sympathetically, her expression softening a little. "And I used to like being alone before…" She held up her hands, which weren't glowing because she was wearing her almleti-leather gloves. Her expression quickly grew troubled and sad as she unexpectedly lowered her guard and let her frustration and sorrow flow out of her.

All too aware of her partner's sudden change of mood, Kim sat back up and scooted to one side, patting the space beside her invitingly. Once Shego had mutely taken that spot and was seated comfortably, Kim turned and took one of her gloved hands in both of her own bare ones. "Just because you can't touch doesn't mean you're not allowed to get close to anyone." _Especially me,_ Kim added mentally. _I don't care if you can't return my touch – I just want you…_

Shego turned away quickly, pulling her hand out of Kim's grip. "No, but if the green skin doesn't turn them away, the perpetually gloved hands will." She choked out a bitter laugh. "It's even gotten to the point that the guys don't even need to know I can't touch them before they turn me down – same with the girls, come to think of it." Shego turned back to stare at Kim, her expression one of amazement this time. Emotions flowed freely from the villainess' mind – far too numerous and faint for the redheaded telepath to identify. "You're the only one who hasn't looked at me with disgust like I'm an escaped lab experiment."

Kim turned herself even more on the bed so she was face-to-face with the woman. _Damn Drakken,_ she thought._ She doesn't even know how beautiful she is_. Kim let her own gaze wander around the paler woman's face, bright green eyes travelling across smooth, flawless – and dare she say attractive – features. The only thing out of place was the light green skin pigment, but Kim had long since gotten over the weirdness of _that_ one. _But she can't see it any more…He did this to her. If I ever see him again…_Kim felt her hands tightening into fists at the turn of her thoughts, but suddenly realized that Shego had noticed her growing anger. _Nuts,_ she cursed mentally._ I forgot about that empathy thing of hers._

Unfortunately, Shego had no way of knowing that Kim's sudden anger wasn't meant for her, so the dangerous criminal was steeling herself for yet another rejection, this time from the one person she'd prayed wouldn't turn her away. Shego started to get up, but Kim's hand shot out and grabbed her by her own gloved one. Shego's head whipped around, that old hatred rekindled and growing every instant, but the fire in her eyes evaporated as soon as she gazed upon the younger woman's tender, compassionate expression.

"Not you, Shego." Kim said into the long silence, referring to the anger that Shego had thought was aimed at her. "_Him_." She knew that Shego didn't want to hear his name – only humans and animals could have names. Heck, even _plants_ could have names on occasion, but never the pond scum that was Dr Drakken. The walking blueberry was below every form of life that Kim could think of at the moment, and she was fairly certain he'd stay there, at least until NASA scientists managed to detect some kind of mutant, half-celled – if it was even possible – organism on a very distant planet.

Even then, it was very much a fair contest.

Kim reached out to hold onto Shego's chin with two fingers, lifting it so she could see her partner's face straight-on. "Is this what you hide behind your confident, snide, and wild mask?" Her voice was barely a whisper as she carefully approached the subject.

Shego wasn't anywhere close to tears, but it was obvious that _this_ was as close as the hardened criminal had been to breaking down for a long time. "Everyone else has left me," she whispered softly, suddenly looking so fragile. "I got fed up with asking because they always say no, and then I found out the only man who stayed with me is the same fucking bastard who hurt me in the first place." Her voice was laced with bitterness, sorrow, and only a hint of her trademark anger. It was a combination of emotions that Kim had never imagined she would ever see on the woman, and it scared her a little.

_Forget that,_ she thought. _This is terrifying. This can't be my Shego – where is she?_

"I deserve to feel too," Shego glared down at her hands, covered in almleti and leather, "but the only time I can touch anyone is when I'm wearing these Goddamned gloves and I can't feel _shit_ through them." Her voice rose to a hoarse hiss as she turned back to stare into Kim's eyes, looking so lost. "Why did he have to do this to me?"

Without thinking, Kim lifted one of her partner's hands and held the palm against her cheek. "Shego," she said gently, drawing the woman out of her bitter rant. "I can't say I know exactly what you're going through inside every day, but I _do_ understand a little. And I can't make you any promises but this," she gazed straight into Shego's wide, damp eyes and took a breath to prepare herself. "I won't leave you and I will do the best I can to make it so you're happy like this, because I don't know how to reverse what's been done." While keeping Shego's gloved hand trapped against her cheek with one of her own, Kim slid her other down to her partner's wrist, pushing back the sleeve of her bodysuit as far as she could. "But, until we know for sure if your hands can be returned to normal," she gently caressed Shego's now-bare wrist with one hand while nuzzling her cheek into the woman's hand, ignoring the fact that her glowing green goddess couldn't feel it through the thin plating in her gloves. "Until then," she repeated gently, "can you be happy with what little I can give?"

Shego stared at Kim in amazement. Reaching up slowly – as if she feared Kim would break if she moved too fast –, she placed her free hand against Kim's other cheek, cupping her face in both of her black-gloved hands. For many long moments, Shego simply stared into Kim's eyes as if suddenly seeing her for the first time. Finally, a relieved smile came to Shego's face and she nodded, edging even closer to the point of crying. "_Yes_." She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Kim's, gazing unblinkingly into her emerald eyes. "I can live with that," she whispered, shuddering as she finally succumbed to the tears that had been threatening to burst forth ever since this odd heart-to-heart had begun. Closing her eyes, Shego stopped holding back and just sobbed her heart out, moving to rest her head against Kim's shoulder as she released all the frustration and anger that a life of rejection and betrayal had bred within her.

Kim wrapped her arms around Shego and held her reassuringly as she waited for her sobs to die down. The moment eventually came, and the pitiful, heart-wrenching sounds from her partner began to quiet but the woman's sorrow and general…_moop_yness kept rolling off the woman's mind in waves.

Kim thought about how she could get Shego back to herself and felt inspiration grab hold of her.

As Shego began to pull away, her tears drying rapidly, Kim leaned forward and spoke softly to her unlikely friend. _And potential lover?_ She wondered. "Go clean yourself up, Shego. We've got to talk about our first job."

Shego let out an indignant snarl, her "moment" instantly shoved to one side. "I don't need to be mothered, Kim."

Kim stopped herself from smiling. _That's my Shego_, she thought fondly. "Who's mothering?" She forced an innocent look on to her face. "I just figured you didn't want to leave any evidence that might tell people you've gone," she paused momentarily and tapped her chin as if she was searching for a word…there it was –, "_soft_."

Shego's eyes narrowed and she threw herself away from Kim. "I have _not_ gone soft!" She glared at Kim.

"Sure you haven't," Kim nodded as if she believed her, but she still wore a huge smile. "But you should wash your face anyway – someone might try to ruin your reputation." The former heroine pointed at her own face, just below her eyes. "It looks like you've been crying."

"I have _not_ been crying!" Shego's voice had risen to an all-out roar now and her hands had balled into fists.

Kim grinned and nodded approvingly. "Better."

* * *

When Shego got back from washing her face, she stopped in the doorway separating her bedroom from her bathroom and just watched as her Kimmie lay casually on her stomach across her green-and-black covered bed, her jet-black pocket computer in hand and headphones jacked into a port at the bottom. She was probably studying up on another of the pocket-geek's new toys. Kim was facing away from the door, so she hadn't seen Shego just yet.

_How strange this world is_, Shego thought as she watched Kim's legs bend at the knee, absently kicking gently at nothing, _when the one person who understands me completely – who appreciates every facet of what makes me Shego and respects me for who I am – turns out to be the annoying young cheerleader who I've fought against for three of the most memorable years of my life…_

It hadn't escaped her notice what the younger woman had done just five minutes earlier. First, Kim had held Shego, gently – silently – reassuring her that everything would be all right, a task that very few people on the planet would risk the villainess' wrath to undertake. But then, once the tears had passed, Kim had worked to pull the older woman back up to her feet. The redhead's words and attitude had prodded at Shego's pride by rubbing in the fact that Shego had broken down and cried. It was something the hardened criminal hadn't done since she'd first lost the full use of her hands. Shego couldn't ignore the fact that Kim had stopped pushing as soon as Shego had regained her – _Shego-ness_. Any other person would have either left Shego on the floor in her distress or kept pushing to try and kick the villainess back down.

But not Kim.

Shego felt a mild brush of guilt. _How could I have ever thought that this girl was _ever_ capable of destroying my life with a chemist's nightmare? This little ex-cheerleader who went out of her way to pull me back up after I'd become a blubbering idiot? How could I have been so easily tricked?_

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Shego."

Shego snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see that Kim had turned to face her, the PDA lying ignored in her hands, and she was just taking in the sight of Shego standing in the doorway, waiting for her to reply.

Shego walked over to the bed and stood over Kim's prone form. "What have I told you about sniffing around in my head?"

Kim shrugged, "I didn't read you," she confessed, surprising Shego with the fact that she believed her little heroine was telling the truth. "I felt your shame, though." She tilted her head to one side in that aggravatingly annoying way that pulled at Shego's heart. "There aren't many things you'd be as ashamed of as when you let an idiot like Drakken tripping you as easily as he did."

Shego dropped down to lie beside Kim. "Way to cheer me up, Sunshine." She directed a glare t Kim, but its power was diminished by another of the redhead's innocent head-tilts.

Kim smiled disarmingly. "What I meant to say was that Drakken had a single moment of brilliance. When you woke up unable to use your hands the way you used to, it probably shocked you, right?"

Shego scoffed. "Yeah – _doy_." Then, before Kim could go on, she held up a hand to stop her. "Look, I know what you're going to say – and thanks –, but I've had four years to dwell on what happened. I wanted someone to blame and that blue-skinned snake gave me the perfect target." Shego let out a self-deprecating laugh. "And then he played the perfect employer. He even let me beat the shit out of him when he managed to piss me off, which isn't that hard to do for a guy like him." She shuddered at some of the memories that floated up from the ghosts of her past. _God_, she wondered,_ will I ever forget the name of 'Coco Moo'?_ "I guess he probably thought it'd be worse if I ever found out the truth, which – you know – he was right about." She grinned once again at the memory of shredding the leather shell of her a-leather gloves on Drakken's face – a major feat in itself considering the blue-boy's face wasn't particularly hard or sharp.

"Still," Kim's tone brightened, "that's all in the past. And right now," she wrapped an arm around Shego's shoulders, "we have other things we need to talk about." She reached out for the three sheets on the bed. "Like this job you're proposing." She paused to look at the photograph that dominated the top half of the first page. "I've heard of this thing, but it's just some two thousand year old Roman armband, isn't it?"

Shego smirked and took the paper from Kim, staring at the picture that she'd taken seven years ago, early on in her employment with Drakken. He'd wanted to know if a certain museum had anything cool in it – and by "cool" he meant, "potentially useful in a doomsday device". He'd turned this artifact down, but Shego hadn't told him everything about it.

Not that she knew all that much about it herself.

"A Roman legionnaire's armband? Sure," Shego nodded, a superior smirk on her face. "One that's made from some kind of metal that wasn't available anywhere on the planet then or now, and is covered in writing that can barely be translated by the best people." She pushed the paper back into Kim's hands. "Add to that the fact that it bears only a passing resemblance to any of the armbands at the time and it makes for a very interesting artifact." Shego leaned back casually against the headboard of her bed. "I can hold it in my bare hands too," she added as an afterthought.

Kim looked up from the photo. "I thought only that almleti stuff could block your plasma."

"Well, apparently, there's a second metal out there that can do the trick and this thing is the only known source of it."

Kim put the papers back into the folder and then handed it to Shego. "Who wants it?"

"I do," Shego replied

Kim looked surprised by that. "Oh," she said simply. "Sorry, I just thought that –."

Shego held up one hand, grinning. "Whoa-hoa-ho there – I understand, Kimmie. I _am_ a mercenary after all, so it makes sense to think that I'm not in this for me, although…" she paused a moment to think, her grin shrinking only a little. "If I _was_ doing this for someone else, they'd be paying me and I'd be in it for the money, so _technically_ I'd be in it for me, but now we're getting off-topic here."

Kim's eyes narrowed fractionally as a thought occurred to her. "Wait a second. If you're so interested in this thing, why haven't you stolen it already? It's been on display for ten years in a rarely visited museum." She smirked up at her jade-skinned partner, "easy pickings for a thief like you."

Shego nodded slowly. "I've known where this thing is for a little under seven years now, but getting my revenge against you was always more important to me. Then, when I suddenly didn't have a reason to hat you, figuring out the mess you'd shoved into my head became a priority until I finally decided to just wait until I'd convinced you to jump the fence to join me."

"Didn't take much convincing on _your_ part," Kim grinned. She looked…_almost_ satisfied. "I still don't see why you'd wait for me. I mean, this job is so easy it doesn't really qualify as an evaluation of my abilities."

Shego shifted uncomfortably on the bed, reluctant to admit this next part. "Well – that's sort of why I wanted _you_ there. Stealing the armband would be so easy, so unsatisfying – so boring – if I was alone."

Kim nodded. "I see…" She looked away for a moment. "So," she hesitated and Shego could smell the guilt rolling off her girl's mind. _Son of a…What's she done now?_

Shego steeled herself for the worst.

"So, uh…" Kim stopped yet again, and then pushed on. "What are the odds that Global Justice will pick up on the theft?"

Shego blinked, staring at the redhead in disbelief. _Global Justice? She's afraid of Global Justice? We could run circles around their best agents – fifty of their best agents. Wait – oh…_ Shego's high spirits fell like a rock slide. _So _that's _why she was so eager to take me up on my offer_. Her suspicions from earlier were confirmed. _It had _nothing _to do with me._

Then, as if she had sensed Shego's change in mood but not its cause, Kim's nervous look abruptly transformed into a worried and compassionate frown. "What's wrong?"

Looking at the younger woman, Shego deliberately made her tone hard and biting to try and cover her hurt and cracking pride. "Is _that_ why you accepted my offer, Kim – so you could take a shot at bringing down the corrupted GJ?" She prepared herself for the inevitable affirmation of her fears – like a splash of paint thinner on the beautiful canvas of her dreams.

Kim leaned back beside Shego as she appeared to actually need to think about it, an observation that couldn't be good as far as the older woman was concerned. Then, while still looking at Shego seriously, unflinchingly, Kim opened her mouth and spoke those dooming words:

"It was the first reason I had." Shego could taste the guilt coming off the girl and she moved to get up and leave the room before the stale and bitter flavour gave her the urge to vomit.

_How dare she?_ Shego felt the old hatred and rage returning in a hurry as she found something that Kim Possible actually _had_ done to incur her wrath. _She played me! She played on my feelings just so she could get help to play her hero game. She always has to play the hero, but did she really have to trick me like this?_

Before Shego could get far, Kim's hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Shego jerked away from the contact and came close to swinging around and decking the redhead in the face. She even briefly entertained the idea of throwing off her gloves and letting loose the full power of her curse on the girl, but she didn't.

She couldn't.

Turning slowly, Shego took a moment to stare at Kim, deeply hurt by the girl's confession that she didn't share her feelings – didn't love her at all. _No_, Shego thought. _As much as I want to hurt her for this, for playing me as badly as Drakken had, I can't do it. I can't take my pain out on her…I can't hurt her because – God help me – I still love her._

"I love you Shego," Kim murmured gently, ignoring Shego's growing anger. "I do," she continued, reaching out for Shego's shoulder again. "But that wasn't the reason I joined you." Shego reluctantly let Kim pull her into a tight hug, but her fears and insecurities about the verity – the depth of their relationship were far from reassured. Then, she heard Kim's voice in her ear, whispering just loudly enough that if there were anyone else in the room, only Shego would hear. This was for the villainess alone, their secret to keep:

"It's the reason I'll stay."

And just like that, like a burning ember thrown into the ocean, Shego's anger was gone. She could sense Kim's sincerity, an all-too-welcome sweetness after the revolting, sour and bitter taste of her guilt. Shoulders sagging with relief, Shego wrapped her arms around the redhead and held her close, clinging desperately to the girl in her arms. She didn't cry, thankfully, but she did feel ashamed of herself for being so insecure about this whole subject when Kim had always proven to be anything but unfaithful in matters of the heart. "Don't," she started in a quiet voice, pulling away from Kim. "Don't leave me." She gazed into Kim's eyes pleadingly, inwardly cursing herself for her weakness – for needing this young woman in her life to feel whole.

"Never," Kim declared, leaning forward to quickly press her lips to Shego's before pulling back. It was a shorter kiss than either of them would have liked, but it was all Shego would have allowed from her young partner at this point; anymore and she was likely to burst into tears again. "Now," Kim began, her eyes brightening a little as she dropped the subject, much to Shego's relief. "How about answering my question?" Even the emotions flowing from Kim's mind brightened considerably, giving Shego just the boost she needed to lighten up from her moment of doubt.

Shego reached up with one hand and brushed her fingers across her black-painted lips, a wry smile twisting them back into the familiar I'm-Shego-and-I-can-kick-ass arrogant smirk. "You really know how to spoil a mood, don't you?"

When Kim just smiled softly in response, Shego relaxed. "Okay, fine." She sat down beside her partner on the bed, shifting to lean back against the headboard and gesturing a little as she spoke, warming up to the topic of their first ever planned-joint mission as villains. "Your question…you know, I don't think a theft like this will score very high on Global's radar. That armband just isn't a valuable artifact enough financially for them to consider investigating." She paused and closed her eyes, an idea coming to her and twisting her lips even more. "Unless…"

Kim perked up, sitting straighter on the bed. "Yeah?" Her eyes were gleaming with her growing excitement.

"Cool it Princess," Shego breathed, her eyelids fluttering as the delicious scent-flavour of her girl's sweetest emotion filled the air. "I told you your excitement was distracting."

"Oh – sorry," the overenthusiastic ex-heroine closed her own eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. _Good thing she's a telepath, _Shego thought as the excitement in the air diminished by several orders of magnitude. _No other kind of person could have calmed down this quickly, if at all. _Kim opened her eyes only a few seconds after taking control of her emotions. "Enough?" She did that adorable head-tilt again.

Shego's smile was a rueful one. "Sadly, yes." She groaned quietly and moved down the bed so she could stare up at the plain, pale green ceiling while lying on her back. "I could lie here all day and lose myself in that, but we've got other things we should be talking about." She paused and let her eyes wander around the blank surface that filled her vision. "I was going to say that it might just be possible to force this theft into a high-priority standing with Global Justice."

Kim nodded quickly, showing her understanding of what had been said, but apparently still clueless as to where Shego was going with this. "How so?"

"See," the older villain turned her head so she could study her partner carefully. "Here's how I see it: the armband is a one-of-a-kind artifact – no other similar specimens have ever been found, so stealing it might cause enough of an uproar in the archaeological community. That's one point in our favour."

Kim grinned, "I'm assuming there are more points you're going to tell me about, Professor."

Shego snorted. "You should be able to see them yourself by now, but whatever." She took a second to collect her thoughts, and then dove back into it. "The owners of the museum are rather…obscenely rich, so Global Justice would just love to take a case from them, especially if they can ensure that those people will call them for any thefts that _Pisces_ might commit in the distant future." Shego paused in her monologue again and turned a devious smirk on the woman sharing her bed. "All GJ needs is the right thief, and they'll be all over us as soon as they can get a team together." Shego paused briefly before adding in a playful tone, "but don't expect me to give up that armband; it's something I've been wanting to get my hands on for a _long_ time. I'd like to keep it for a while."

Kim made no comment on Shego's last words, and instead smiled knowingly, "and the right thief would be –?"

"Me!" Shego punched the redhead lightly on the shoulder, but she smiled all the same. "If I let myself get caught on camera at the museum, Global should probably get wind of it pretty fast, and they'll send their top team after us – 'cuz, you know, I'm still the most dangerous villain out here, four years' absence or not." She put on an air of superiority. "Global still considers me an extreme priority threat because I'm a die-hard freelancer and a raging unknown since they have no clue what I want from the world."

Kim nodded again, "yeah – Wade told me about their low tolerance for independent people. He got roped into working for them."

Shego smirked admiringly, "and yet he still managed to smuggle you a nice big goodie bag of upgrades. I gave him too little credit – maybe he _is_ smart."

"The smartest guy I know," Kim replied firmly. She shifted her position on the bed to mirror Shego's own pose; lying down face-up and staring at the ceiling together – like they were watching clouds pass by the roof of Shego's house. "So, you want to break into a museum, get caught on tape, and then just sit there and wait for them to show up? Do you really think that they'll fall for it?"

Shego grinned, "If they don't, we'll just have to go for something a little more high profile – like the Mona Lisa"

Kim laughed and closed her eyes as she considered her own idea. "Or we could try and make off with the torch off the Statue of Liberty."

"Or her crown," Shego countered. "You know what?" She raised herself up on her elbows and gazed down into Kim's face, which was still twisted into the most adorable half-smile at the playful joking they were sharing. When Shego didn't say any more, Kim's eyes opened and she found herself staring straight up into her former nemesis' forest-green eyes. Kim's eyes were only a handful of shades lighter – close enough to almost be the same colour.

Moving cautiously, almost fearfully, Kim reached up and cupped Shego's cheek with one hand, smiling fondly when the older woman leaned into her touch, relishing in the skin-on-skin contact that was comforting for both of them. "What is it?" Kim's voice was a bare whisper.

Shego leaned a little closer, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "I think I could grow to like working with you." She gazed into Kim's eyes for a few long moments. "This _is_ going to be fun."

"More than fun," Kim nodded slowly and then leaned up to just barely brush her lips against Shego's. "Can I kiss you?" As she asked the question, Shego could see how nervous the redhead was.

Shego's first impulse was to make some kind of joke at hero-girl's expense, but seeing how uncomfortable Kim was, she decided it would only hurt the young woman and Shego realized she didn't want to do that. So, her initial response of _I don't know, can you_ died on her lips, and she instead found herself closing the distance between them, molding her dark, dark lips with Kim's in a soft, gentle kiss that did more to convey her newfound love than any words could. "You _never_ need to ask," the taller woman replied in an almost silent whisper when the pair finally parted.

Kim's eyes had closed sometime during their kiss, but they now opened to allow the younger woman to study Shego's face closely, their noses almost touching. "I know – it's just that…" The girl turned away as she searched for the words she wanted to use. "This is all new to me. For once, I don't know what I'm doing and it's really scaring me."

Shego nodded and pulled away just a little to give her young partner the space she needed to think. "Do you want to pull out before you get too deep?" She looked away, trying to hide how much she was hoping that Kim wouldn't say yes.

There was that hand on her cheek again, turning her head and forcing her to gaze down into the face she'd been convinced to hate for three long years. "God no, Shego," Kim breathed, "I don't know what'll come of this, but I'm not letting go of you." She hesitated for a moment. "Just…promise me this isn't a trick or another of Drakken's stupid schemes." She broke off, squeezing her eyes shut as the thought of how much _that_ would hurt passed through the young woman's head. After a moment, Shego caught a faint whiff of Kim's determination as the girl raised her head to gaze into her eyes with a defiant fire that only just covered the vulnerability that the villainess was still able to taste. "Promise me that all you want is me."

Shego at first felt a surge of anger that Kim would even think to suggest that she was still working with that sick blue freak. _Then again, with the way our relationship had been for those three years, is it really a surprise that we'd both bring some emotional baggage to this new…relationship that we're building?_ Forcing herself to calm down, Shego reconsidered Kim's words. "I _promise,_ Kim. I wouldn't work with that bastard if he offered me the world, which of course, he's not likely to ever be able to deliver anyway, but that's beside the point." The two women shared a quiet laugh at the absurd notion that Dr Drakken could ever manage to take control of the entire world when he couldn't even seem to speak English properly, but then Shego forced that thought away and became serious again. "There's nothing he could give me that could ever compare to what I'm holding in my arms right at this very moment."

Shego knew she'd said the right thing because she could taste a sudden surge of happiness from her precious Kimmie. It was a soft and sweet scent-flavour that tasted kinda boring and stale coming from everyone else but was everything that Shego had ever dreamed of when it flowed from Kim's heart and mind. It figured that Kim's emotions – all of her emotions – would taste the best of everyone else on the planet.

Kim smiled and raised her head up to claim another kiss form Shego, murmuring an almost inaudible, "thank you" just before their lips met once more, leaving them both unable to speak for several minutes as they became singularly focused on this intimate contact between them, and the thoughts of what else they could do together now that the one's hate and the other's duty were both a thing of the past.

Finally, as Shego felt Kim's hands slide around to rest on the back of her head, Shego had to force herself away from the irresistible girl, trying desperately to ignore the little cry of dismay when their lips parted all too soon as far as the girl was concerned. "As much as I would _love_ to just lie here in bed with you, a question begs to be asked."

Kim tilted her head to one side once again, smiling as if she didn't know how cute she was when she did that. "Yeah?" Her eyes even sparkled a little.

Shego pushed herself away from the unreasonably beautiful girl and forced herself to not think about diving back into those lips for another of those kisses. "When do you want to go to the museum?"

The smile on Kim's face shrank a little, but not enough to make Shego think she'd hurt her feelings by changing the subject. Glancing down at her watch, Kim closed her eyes briefly as she ran through a dozen thoughts and possibilities in a few moments. "Well, it's about one noon now, so why don't we head out for some lunch and we can pay the museum a visit before it closes." She grinned suddenly, "is it only a coincidence that you picked the first mission to be right here in Montreal?"

Shego's own expression dissolved into a confident smirk. "No, the coincidence is that _you_ decided to move here. I told you – I've been watching this armband for _years_." She grew serious, "but as good as lunch sounds, we haven't had breakfast either, and there's only one place I'm interested in going to that can serve it at this time." She paused to think about it. "It's a cool place; if we hurry and get out of here, we might make it there before they close up."

Kim smiled knowingly. "Chez Cora's?"

Shego's answering grin was just as wide, her black lips curled up and her eyes narrowed in glee. "Chez Cora's. So, ready to go?"

Kim's smile turned devious as she still lay beneath Shego and a playful gleam entered her eyes. "Well," she started, shifting a little on the bed. "I could use a bathroom break before we leave," she paused for a moment and her smile exploded into a full grin of excitement, anticipation, and mischief. "On second thought…nope – I don't need the toilet; let's go." She rolled out from under Shego, climbing to her feet.

For a second, Shego just stared at Kim in confusion, one eyebrow raised at the real redhead's odd behaviour, until the full meaning of her partner's words hit her, and a wide grin spread across her face as she caught onto Kim's game. "Aw, Kimmie…that's disgusting."

Kim put on the least convincing innocent look that Shego had _ever_ seen. "What? It's just water."

"It's _piss_," Shego shot back. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever thought of." She paused, shaking her head. "Whatever, let's just go. I need the bathroom…and I can't take care of it like you can, unless…" she stopped suddenly, smirking like she'd just had a great idea. "Hey Kim, come here for a sec."

Kim's face twisted into a grimace. "Gross," she said, turning to walk out of the room. "Come on Shego; if we're not ready to have Sex, we're definitely not ready for…_that_."

Shego's grin only grew wider, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Ah, but you're not denying the possibility that we might someday be ready to try more…_imaginative_ things."

Kim stopped in the doorway and turned her head so Shego could see a mischievous grin that easily matched her own, if not surpassing it by several worlds. "It sounds like it might be…interesting." She winked at Shego. "Besides, I'll try anything once – at least." She continued walking out the door.

Shego shook her head ruefully as she watched her lover leave the room, and then turned to grab her bag, which she'd left at the foot of her bed when they'd first arrived just a few hours earlier. _I had to fall in love with the adventurous Possible_, she mused thoughtfully, digging through the jet-black leather backpack. It looked like she had everything she'd need for the night's outing, so she closed it up and slung it over her shoulder. _God – I love this already…_

"I heard that," came Kim's voice from the stairs as Shego entered the bathroom to do her thing. _Since Pumpkin is too much of a prude to share her gift,_ Shego laughed to herself. "And I can't get enough of this either."

Shego rounded the corner a minute later and found herself staring down the stairs at Kim, who was leaning against the wall in a relaxed, bored, and unfairly attractive pose. "In that case," Shego started down the stairs wearing a tiny smirk, "I won't beat you to a pulp for raiding my mind…_again_."

"I told you," Kim shrugged and smiled carelessly. "I can't help it sometimes." She pushed herself away from the wall and turned away to start walking towards the front door, her excitement climbing a few notches more pronounced, making Shego stumble for a moment before she could adjust the mental block she was only now learning to put on her semi-vampiric ability. "And…you know," Kim turned as she opened the door, her smile unchanged. "You couldn't beat me on your best day."

The excitement hanging in the air doubled in intensity, and Shego almost felt her mental barrier tremble from the onslaught of emotion. _Holy_, Shego strained to raise her defence higher. _Kim packs a bit of a punch, and being this close to her for so long is going to be a bit of a strain, but worth it._

Shego tried to ignore the tremble that began between her legs at the few wisps of excitement that made it through her barrier. _Oh…she's definitely worth it._

Kim grinned. "Thanks," and then turned away again. "C'mon, Shego – let's get out of here. I'm starting to get hungry."

Shego pulled her keys from her pocket and followed Kim out of the house, closing and locking the door without having to turn her eyes away from the sight of Kim staring longingly at the gleaming green bike that sat on the driveway.

"Here," she called out, pulling another set of keys from her pocket and tossing them to her not-so-new partner.

Now that she thought about it, Shego realized they'd always been partners; they'd just been pushing each other away without knowing it – Shego because she'd been convinced to hate the heart-wrenchingly adorable girl for something she hadn't done, and Kim because Shego had been on the other side of the law. Now that Shego had ditched her false hatred and Kim had found herself willingly stepping over the line for Shego, it was as if they had been destined to be together since the dawn of time, their relationship tempered by the pure passion they'd shared in their frequent fights.

Shego had discovered early on that she actually enjoyed battle the heroine, both with words and fists, and she'd tried to convince herself to hate the teen vigilante all the more because of it, convinced that Kim Possible had destroyed her life and was now just toying with her – making her enjoy their encounters in an attempt to save her own skin. Of course, her subconscious hadn't fallen for her conscious reasoning, and had decided to follow the part of Shego's heart that Shego had never really been in tune with since some time before the accident.

"What's this?" Kim caught the keys in one hand without thinking, and with such a smooth motion that Shego couldn't help the flutter that tugged at her heart. Even the simplest action turned into a display of such beauty when it came to the woman Shego couldn't help but love with an ever-growing amount of her being. If this kept up, she would belong to Kim completely by day's end – mind, body, and soul.

Not that Shego would allow herself to belong to anyone else.

_Ever_.

Shego smirked at the heroine's puzzled expression. _She doesn't even realize how perfect she is…_ "You're driving," she said simply. "At Kim's continued bafflement, Shego sighed. "I saw the way you looked at my bike, and I distinctly remember telling you I can learn to share." Then, a slightly unbelievable thought entered the villainess' mind. "You'd better be able to drive that bike, _Princess_, 'cuz those are _your_ keys."

Kim looked back down at the two keys in her hand, only this time it was with a gentle smile. Closing her hand into a protective fist around the treasure Shego had just given her, she looked up at her partner, her grin turning playful. "I can do anything," she declared before adding sheepishly, "Even drive without the right license."

Shego's smirk didn't fade. "I guess you can." She turned away and pulled her helmet off the handlebar she'd hung it on. "But the first thing we're going to do after we steal the armband is get you the complete set of driving licenses." She ran one hand through her short cherry-red hair, "because _Teri Nordham_ can't afford to be caught breaking the law."

Kim only grinned happily. "Spankin'!"

* * *

A/N: This is not so bad a cliff-hanger, I suppose

Oh, and don't worry about any eventual kinkiness of Kim and Shego's relationship. Um, if I mention anything it'll only be for the purposes of each trying to outdo the other in their perpetual battle of wits (ie: all talk and no action). And just so y'all know - our precious little Kimmie didn't wet the bed; she used her - ahem - "special" power over water to shunt the water to a less uncomfortable place...although I'm hoping you've all figured that out before now.

Next Chapter: Kim and Shego meet a mutual acquaintance at Chez Cora's (love that restaurant), but who is it? You'll just have to wait and see. I _would_ enjoy educated guesses from all of you…

Please review. I enjoy many of your comments on how I'm portraying my two main/only characters. Some of them make me laugh.


	9. Disguises

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Ninth

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego (aka: KIGO, aka: this chapter contains some images of ROMANCE between TWO WOMEN, aka: lesbian interaction - gasp . You've been warned – now go away if you can't be nice.)

**Rating:** Um…Hm…I've got nothing, so why don't I go with the PG-15 that seems to have wormed its way into my story?

**Spoilers:** None this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation.

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our two lovely villainii, our beloved Kim and Shego were just leaving Shego's house to engage in a little friendly fight. No, wait…that was chapter 7, in chapter 8, Shego and Kim were leaving Shego's house to get some food, and I alluded to a chance meeting with a mutual acquaintance of theirs. And Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**Chapter IX**

"So," Kim poked gingerly at the plate of food in front of her. "What's your take on GJ's new work ethic?"

"It's not so new," Shego remarked off-hand, glancing around discreetly at the people that filled the other tables in the restaurant. _Doesn't seem like we're the centre of anyone's attention right now, so we might just be in the clear. It looks as if we're officially disguised._ She turned back to face Kim; she had once more donned that impressively effective blonde wig. "I always figured that this would happen someday, Kim. An organization as big as them couldn't possible have a workforce that is completely loyal, or completely agrees with the original spirit of its founding woman, namely the protection of the World. A couple of greedy, ambitious, and unscrupulous people are always bound to come out of the mold."

Kim smiled a little playfully, "So you don't mind that I'm not actually joining you on the bad side?"

Shego chuckled. "Kimmie, Kimmie, Kimmie," she shook her head, smirking in that way she knew the _blonde_ couldn't resist. "When _will_ you learn?" She drove her fork into her plate for a politely-portioned mouthful from her plate of steak, bacon, sausage, eggs, and the lightest garnishing of vegetables. Hers was most definitely a carnivore's appetite. "I'm always more about the thrill than the villainy," she embellished around her mouthful of food. "Villainy's just the more fun way to get thrills." She swallowed. "Hell, I'd even go hero again if you could promise me that same rush, which – since I'd be with you – is pretty much a given." She smiled more gently. "You were always the greatest challenge to me, the biggest mystery – the best thrill."

Kim's eyes brightened, "aw, that's so sweet Teri."

"You play this game well, Kim." Shego commented on the ease with which Kim slipped into their private little spy game. "But Heroism by way of Villainy? That's something only a Possible could come up with."

The younger girl shrugged, still glowing from Shego's praise. "It's not really that crazy an idea when you think about it." She dug into one of her pancakes, speaking through her food as best she could. "Look at the comics – Wolverine is kind of an anti-hero. He doesn't hesitate to cross the line of principle, but he's still a good guy. He's just so much more interesting than the others because he's not a _clean_ good guy."

Shego stared at Kim incredulously. _You were a clean good guy a few years ago, Princess. Could that time have really changed you that much?_ "You're comparing yourself to Wolverine?" She leaned forward across the table, pushing her plate to one side to keep her hair from ending up in her meat-and-egg mountain. "Well, you're definitely hotter than he is." She leaned closer, half standing as she tried to steal a kiss, but Kim's fingertips on her lips stopped her halfway. "What?" She drew back a little, slightly hurt by the rejection.

When Kim didn't answer right away, Shego shifted her gaze to her face instead of the still upraised hand between them. "What is it?"

Kim's eyes were now closed a little tightly but not screwed shut, and her eyebrows had drawn close together as she concentrated on something. Shego could sense Kim's growing frustration as the sour scent-flavour filtered into the air. "There's someone here – close to us," Kim finally got out in a whisper-quiet voice. "Someone who knows both of us – very well," she paused and her frustration eased off somewhat.

Shego leaned forward again. "Do you think he knows we're here?" She began to scan the room again, moving as discreetly as she could.

"_She_ knows very well that you two are here."

Shego and Kim both looked around for the source of the new voice. Shego watched in confusion as Kim's eyes grew wide in disbelief, and then the blonde-wigged girl whipped around in her seat, grabbing the tinted plastic divider and pulling herself up so she could look into the next booth. "No way!" Shego heard Kim's excitement as well as feel it, but she stubbornly refused to even think about indulging herself in the delicious emotion. "Uh," Kim hesitated for a second. "Is that really you…uh – Phyllis?"

A low, authoritative, and female chuckle answered Kim as the back of a brunette's head rose into view. "_Phyllis_, Kimberly? Is that really the best you could come up with?" The brunette slid out of the booth and turned to face the two younger women. "Good day to you both."

Shego's breath caught in her throat when her eyes fell rose from the woman's blue dress shirt-clad torso stomach to her face. The pictures of this woman had never been very good because she was very rarely seen in public like this, but that eye patch was unmistakable. And, although Shego had never met the woman, she'd heard all the rumours about her ruthlessness and penchant for espionage games.

It was Doctor Director.

And there was this evil grin on her face that told Shego they were about to get into a serious "discussion".

* * *

_Holy Crap!_

Kim sat back and stared up at Dr Director. _Wade said she'd disappeared but what are the chances she'd disappeared to Canada at all, let alone Montreal?_

Out of the corner of her eye, Kim saw Shego tensing and remembered that Dr Director had also been one of Shego's enemies, albeit in a very boring and professional way. _Oh, s_he grimaced. _This could get messy._

Leaning forward, Kim reached one hand out and grabbed Shego's shoulder, trying to hold her back and calm her down. "Don't worry, Teri," she almost forgot to keep Shego's name from crossing her lips, but not to keep the thief's identity secret from the former head of Global Justice, but from any other people who were listening in. The one eyed woman had probably recognised Shego so there was no point in trying to hide it here. "Teri," Kim repeated. "She doesn't run GJ anymore, Teri." She shook Shego by the shoulder she was gripping. "Teri?"

Shego slowly relaxed under Kim's hand, and turned back to her food, keeping a wary eye on the newcomer who'd had the arrogance to interrupt the conversation she'd been having. "I trust _you_, Kim." She muttered her grudging acceptance. "Not _her_."

"As well you shouldn't…Teri." Director raised an eyebrow as the name slid off her own tongue. Then, she reached out of sight into her booth, bringing a half eaten plate of food into view. "May we join you?"

Shego bristled, but Kim just smiled. "Of course," she shot a warning look at Shego, "but you might want to sit on this side of the table. I don't think Teri likes you very much."

"Come, William," Dr Director called out to her dining companion. "There's someone here you simply _must_ meet." She slid into the seat beside Kim, setting her food down in front of her.

"Yes Sir." A black-haired man stepped into sight, his own plate of food held in plain view.

Dr Director sighed as the best agent that Global Justice had ever had on payroll sat down beside a still seething Shego. "How many times do I have to tell you, William? I haven't been your superior for over three years; why do you insist on calling me that?"

Will Du's shoulders straightened as he drew himself up proudly. "Because it is unjust what Philip Sincoli did – to you, to me, and to everyone else he's threatened."

Director nodded gravely, her resignation all too visible in her one good eye. "Unjust, but regrettably unavoidable. I rather like my family alive thank you." She turned to Kim, ignoring the shocked stares she was getting from all three of the people around the table as she spoke so casually on the subject of blackmail. "So, Kimberly," the older woman smiled in an unusually friendly way that mildly unsettled Kim, solely because it was _Dr Director_ who was smiling. "You look well. What brings you to Montreal? And please don't use my middle name again."

Kim blinked for a moment. _Middle name? I don't even know your first name – oh right…_ "Fine, _Kelly._" Kim drew on her memory and remembered the name Dr Director had used to accept the delivery of Wade's "package", feeling a swell of relief when the former GJ CEO nodded approvingly. "I've been living here for the past four years." She smirked and gestured to both "Kelly" and Will. "And you two?"

Dr Director smiled. "I was born and raised here, believe it or not. After I was forced into retirement, I decided to move back in with the family." She looked around the restaurant briefly and gestured to her stony-faced companion. "William flew in this morning for another visit." She ended the sentence with an almost angry-sounding growl.

_Oh, this should be interesting,_ Kim thought. "He does this often?"

Director sighed, "increasingly more often this past year." She glared at Will. "Ever since his sole remaining family member died of a congenital heart disfunction, he seems to have gotten it into his head that Global _injustice_ has no means to control him, so he's been trying to convince me to help him in an irrational, ill-planned, and ultimately unfeasible crusade against my organization."

"But _sir_ –," Will began calmly. "We can move your family to a safe place now that we only have one family to consider."

"No," Director replied with an exasperated sigh. _Yes,_ Kim thought. _This is an old routine they've been going through for a long while._ "You know as well as I do the resources that were available to Global Justice when _I_ ran things. If we had wanted to find a criminal, we found them." She glanced sidelong at Kim, the ghost of an amused and respectful smile tugging at her lips. "Of course, we never were able to track anyone down as quickly or as quietly as your associate, Mr. Load."

Kim grinned. _You rock, Wade._ "He's always been the best."

Dr Director turned back to Will. "And Global Justice's resources have only _grown_ in the four years it has been under Philip Sincoli's guidance." She fixed him with a glare that Kim recognised from the good old days. It was Dr Director's patented I'm-giving-an-order-and-I-expect-it-to-be-followed expression. "Do you really think we'd ever find a hole deep enough to hide my family?" She laid her fork and knife on the table carefully and rested her elbows on the dark surface, interlacing her fingers casually.

Will Du spread his hands, "But sir, we could –."

"No," she replied firmly.

"But what if –."

"No."

"But –."

"_No._" Dr Director lashed out faster than either Kim or Shego had expected, slapping the younger man across one cheek, lunging out of her seat to stand over Will from across the table, fixing him with that bowel-liquefying stare. Calming herself, she slowly sat back down, glaring around at the surrounding tables, fixing her "Dr Director" look on each person who had stopped their conversations at her outburst until they slowly – uncomfortably – returned to their own worlds.

_Wow,_ Kim thought, impressed by the display. _Even blackmailed into retirement, she's still got it. It's a pity the bad guys know threatening loved ones always works._ For one instant, Kim prayed to heavens that Wade knew what he was doing and did in fact have her family safe as he had promised.

"You're lucky she wasn't holding her knife when she did that," Shego remarked dryly from her seat in one corner of the booth.

Will just reached up to rub his already reddened cheek. "No, I learned to wait until she puts her cutlery down." When he lowered his hand, Kim saw that there were four short, parallel scars very close together on his lower jaw. _My God,_ she looked back at Dr Director, who had turned her gaze downward to stare at her half-eaten plate of food. If Kim were to venture a guess, she'd say that the retired GJ woman wasn't seeing the plate, or even the table underneath it.

"Very well, sir." Will moved to stand up, pushing his plate away from him. "If your answer remains unchanged, then I will return home." He dug in his pockets and dropped enough money on the table to pay for his own meal with some extra. "Good day, sir." He turned away.

"Don't come back, William," she replied in her commanding voice.

He only stopped walking for a moment, "Of course sir," before he was on his way.

Dr Director watched him carefully until he'd left the restaurant. Then, she sat back and stared off into space for a long time. Shego returned her attention to her food after only a couple seconds, satisfied that the former GJ director didn't pose a threat today. Kim took a little longer, but soon followed Shego's lead, digging into her high stack of pancakes. _This is turning into a far more interesting day than I'd expected. Who'd have thought? Yesterday, I was just a retired superhero-vigilante, alone in the world I'd created for myself post-High School, and today…_She glanced over at Shego. _I feel like I've finally found the one I love when she's been standing sneering in front of me for years, I'm un-retired and getting ready to make war on Global Justice, and now I've now run into the woman who ran the place when it was a good and wholesome peacekeeping organization. What _has_ this world come to?_

"He'll be back," Dr Director finally said. Turning to her own meal, she held up a piece of bacon on her fork and stared at it as if it held the answer to some question she'd never answered. "He always comes back." She shook her head and bit down on her offensively unresponsive strip of meat. "It's the one order I've given that he's never followed." She dug into her plate at a reasonable pace – nowhere near the rate that Shego was making her own food evaporate.

Kim looked up from her food. Shego was pretending to not listen, but the act didn't fool Kim. "If you keep sending him away like that, why does he keep coming back?" Kim shoved another forkful of pancake in her mouth.

Doctor Director paused in her eating to contemplate another strip of bacon. "Since the death of his brother, William is under the impression that I am the only person left who he can trust as a friend." She bit into the piece of bacon on her fork. "Of course, our relationship at the time was nothing close to friendship. So, we've been meeting every couple of days or weeks to simply talk over dinner or some other...activity." She took a long sip from her water glass. "This was actually one of our better days. Before you interrupted us," she grinned suddenly again, "we were speculating on what you two could be doing sharing a peaceful meal in public." Her smile faded, "and before that, we were discussing our conflicting views on Canada's participation – or lack thereof as the case may be – in certain influential wars of the past. We were debating both Iraq wars when you came in."

Shego had put both her fork and knife down about halfway through Dr Director's explanation, closely followed once again by Kim as they both studied the oldest woman at the table with identical measuring looks. Gradually, a sly smirk spread across Shego's face as the same idea occurred to both of them. Kim couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped her lips as she realized what was going on. _Oh my goodness, _she thought. _I never thought that it could be possible._

Dr Director finally realized that the two women had stopped listening to her. "What?"

"Someone's in love," Shego finally said, successfully hiding her laughter behind her hand.

The brunette blushed mightily, an incredibly out of character response for a woman like her. "Oh," she looked down at her now empty plate, flustered. "I always knew he looked up to me, but _love_?"

Kim nodded, smirking fiendishly. "There's no other reason I can think of that he'd take that kind of abuse from you."

Shego pulled her hand away from her grinning mouth so she could work a little more on her mountain of eggs, steak, bacon, and sausage, working carefully at picking out what pieces of egg she could find first. "It also explains the frequent dates," she offered off-hand.

Kim nodded again, speaking through a mouthful of syrup and jam-drenched pancake. "And the getting together to gossip about mutual acquaintances," she waved her fork between herself and Shego. "And to debate global politics like classmates."

Dr Director looked between the two of them. "But…"

Shego interrupted, "have you gone to movies together too?"

"Kelly" looked away somewhat guiltily.

Kim grinned. "So, it's not just Will who's fallen in love."

This time, Shego nodded. "Why else would someone willingly subject themselves to the torture of a chick flick?"

Dr Director bristled. "They weren't _all_ chick flicks, as you call them," she declared.

Kim gestured to the redhead across the table from her, "thus proving my friend's point."

Shego smirked. "Check and Mate."

Dr Director tried one more time, raising her left hand. "I'm married, you two." She showed off the simple gold band that encircled her ring finger.

But Kim only smiled knowingly. "To Will Du."

The brunette hung her head. "Yes." When she looked up, she was smiling like she had suddenly inherited the whole planet.

Shego let out an amused laugh before diving back into her mountain of meat and eggs. "Kelly, you dog!"

Kim swallowed down another sickeningly sweet mouthful of pancake. _God, this stuff is great._ "So, the family that Global threatened isn't a husband and kids…" she trailed off thoughtfully.

Dr Director shook her head, "mother, brothers, niece, and four nephews." The brunette smiled faintly. "They can be damn annoying sometimes, but they're still family."

Kim nodded sympathetically, thinking about her twin brothers and the rest of her own family. _Ah_¸ she thought with only a trace amount of annoyance. _Good old demonic tweebs…I'm counting on you, Wade – keep them safe. Keep them all safe from Global so I can worry about doing _my_ thing._ "So," she brightened a little from her dark thoughts. "How long?"

Shego continued grinning around a mouthful of egg. "And how is he in bed?"

Dr Director smiled again. "Two years last month." Her expression slid quite smoothly into her "Director" mask again. "And _forget it._ I don't know either of you nearly well enough to divulge that kind of information."

"Aw, shucks." Shego pouted, but it was nothing compared to Kim's not-so-secret and far more refined family weapon, which she wasn't quite interested enough to use. Besides, the redhead knew that Shego was only asking to be the general, overall pain that she felt she had to be to make the world a less fluffy place. _And I can't help but love that_… So, uninterested as they both were, Kim let the subject drop and asked a new question instead.

"And yet you don't live together. Why?"

Dr Director grimaced. "Our relationship is a little…complicated. Global Justice doesn't check up on us even half as much as they do you, Kimberly, but they do keep tabs on William and I. They probably know by know that he and I are married, and that we talk about the recent past whenever we get together, but the simple fact that we are both still alive seems to indicate that it is permissible behaviour. William and I have been increasing the frequency of our meetings to see if Global will actually allow us to live together as we would like to." She shook her head slowly, chuckling bitterly to herself. "I know it must sound ridiculous – Doctor Director, former head of Global Justice, tiptoeing around the roses. If it was solely my life or William's on the line, we'd certainly say to the pit with Global Justice and _Pisces International_ and move into a home, come Hell or high water, but with my family involved…well, William understands my desire for caution." She paused, chuckling a little less darkly this time. "But, enough about me," she glanced up to study Shego with a practiced eye. "I can't say I've always wanted to meet you, Teri – not without adding a phrase with something along the lines of 'metre-thick armour plating' somewhere in there – but it _has_ in fact been a pleasure." She smiled in an attempt to be cheerful. "What brings _you_ to Montreal?"

Shego pointed across the table at Kim. "Her," was her simple-yet-sufficient reply.

There was that single arched eyebrow again. "Really?" She leaned forwards so she could glance from Kim to Shego, and the back. "I see," she smirked triumphantly at what she'd discovered as she sat back. "So, you've finally managed to reform the infamous supervillain, have you Kimberly? Tamed the untameable? I must say, I'm impressed."

Kim coughed nervously. _If only,_ she thought, gazing at the woman who'd somehow managed to worm her way into her heart. She was so unreasonably beautiful, "actually-um. Teri's the one who reformed _me._"

Dr Director's eyes widened in shock, "Are you serious?"

Shego grinned and waved a hand between her and Kim. "You're looking at the world's newest supervillain team."

Kim nodded defiantly, "and Global Justice's worst nightmares come to life."

Shego laughed at that, her eyes moving to take in the redhead's fiery expression. "We're thinking of calling it 'heroic villainy' or 'villainous heroism' – whichever makes more heads explode from confusion."

Dr Director smiled slightly at this turn of events. "So, I take it you've heard from Mr Load finally?" At Kim's nod, the brunette continued in a lower voice. "I knew he'd come through for me. So," she raised her voice back up to its previous conversation tone. "So, what are your plans?"

Kim shrugged nonchalantly, "oh, you know us; we're _all_ about improvising."

Shego scowled at Dr Director. "What's it to you?"

Director simply studied the two younger women with her coldest "Director" glare. "I just think you should be warned that if you plane to take and hold the world's treasures for ransom, you'll be sorely disappointed. Global Justice will not play that game by your rules."

Shego scoffed, sounding supremely insulted by the words of the former GJ CEO. "Extortion? Please – that's _so_ overdone."

Kim nodded. "We're going so beyond that." She turned to Shego. "What do you think? Steal the world's treasures and just…hold onto them for a little while?"

Shego grinned, "And then, we could add insult to injury by returning them after a few weeks, proving that we can still break in even if they beef up their security." Then, she snapped her fingers as if a sudden idea had occurred to her, and she looked about ready to voice it, but then her eyes flicked to the waiting Dr Director and she clammed up, forming instead a single silent word with her lips.

Later.

_Later, indeed Shego._ Kim felt a little disappointed that she wouldn't hear what Shego had been thinking. She had felt her partner's glee and sheer excitement at the idea, but she didn't know the full extent of Shego's growing plan. Sure, she could break into the older woman's mind and take the answer to her burning curiosity, but she'd made a promise to Shego – no unauthorised traipsing into her mind – and she would abide by her word of honour.

Dr Director nodded her understanding of their plan – or at least, what had been _said_ of their plan. "So, you plan to make Global Justice waste precious money and resources focusing on you two in a bid to frustrate them to the point of carelessness or force them into bankruptcy." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "an intriguing idea to be sure, if a bit lacking in ambition."

Kim reached out again to hold onto Shego's shoulder as the volatile villain bristled once more. "What do you mean by that?" Shego looked like she was about ready to throw herself across the table and deck her across the face for that insult.

Dr Director must have been made of stronger stuff than she'd been letting on, because the one-eyed woman didn't flinch away from the supervillain's rather obvious ire. "I'm simply saying that you can't hope to force my creation into bankruptcy without increasing the boldness of your plan." She reached into a small pocket of her dark blue jacket. "You should know that Global Justice is currently netting over ninety million dollars every week."

Kim's eyes grew so wide they almost bulged out of her head. "Uh…" she tried to brush it off the way Shego would. "I guess we'll just have to be _really_ good."

Shego narrowed her eyes at this new information, clearly unimpressed. "Exactly how do you know what's going on now?"

Dr Director just smiled secretively. "Oh, I have my own ways to spy on my tormentors." She pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing a pale blue device.

Kim gasped softly. _No way!_ She stared at the little box in the brunette's hand. _That colour, the slight hourglass shape…the buttons are a little different and the screen's a little bigger, but still… _She looked up at the brunette. "A Kimmunicator?" She kept her voice down, "but how –?"

"Watch," Dr Director interrupted, laying the blue device on the table beside her empty plate. She flipped a switch and the screen brightened. "I got it in the mail about a year ago. Mr Load assured me that it was correctly equipped to hack into any Global Justice mainframe without being traced or back-hacked, which in turn means any computer on the planet – except of course for Mr Load's own system."

Shego looked at the plain blue device sceptically. "Are you sure? Global has some pretty serious tech capabilities. I'm still not so sure if Nerdlinger's up to it."

Dr Director nodded decisively. "I've tested it myself on numerous occasions and in many locations."

Kim was too busy staring at the bright screen on the brunette's Kimmunicator to pay any attention to the growing debate between the two other women. If anything but words became involved, _then_ would be the time for Kim's interference.

A red emblem had appeared on the screen, dead centre and superimposed over a large black circle, and it was blinking in and out of sight at a fairly steady but gradually quickening pace, and Kim was trying to make sense of it. It looked like a semi-circular arc or some part of a spiral, but there were numerous bulges along the curve's length, starting from the wider part of the half-spiral and growing narrower and longer as the curve grew tighter until the very end, where the spiral ended with a rather out-of-place-seeming dot with a small and sharply curved spike protruding from the dot's underside, pointing forward. Then, as Kim continued trying to analyze the emblem, it hit her like a very fast-moving car. It was the tail end of a…

"_Scorpion_," she breathed in wonder, interrupting Shego and Dr Director's discussion with her seemingly random comment. Kim looked up at the older woman in amazement. "Wade gave you _Scorpio_?"

Dr Director beamed down at the innocent-looking device. "His brainchild and the best weapon against the international organization I created." She smiled apologetically to Kim, "I'm afraid it wasn't created for the sole purpose of being able to communicate freely with you, Kimberly, as productive a goal as that was since contact with Mr Load seems to have rekindled your interest in the world you retired from." She carefully slid the holy grail of data encryption transmitters over towards Kim. "And I think you could make far better use of it than I have been able to." She sat back and frowned, "the rules have changed quite a lot since I was a full agent, and I find that an old dinosaur like me is only good for gathering intelligence on the enemy."

Kim carefully took the device off the table and cradled it in both hands. It was easily Wade's greatest creation in the seven years she had known the boy and Dr Director was just casually giving it away? Something didn't feel right. "Kelly," she looked up at the eye-patched brunette, "I really don't think he'd appreciate you just throwing his baby away like this. He must have given it to you for a reason because _I_ don't even have this."

Dr Director smirked. "I'm not throwing it away, Kimberly; I'm donating it to someone who can easily use it better – more efficiently." She nodded her head to Kim. "This is _your_ world now, Kimberly – my usefulness as an agent came to an end more than ten years ago. I can still manage agents better than anyone, but Global Justice isn't an organization that I could take down with my rusty and outdated skills." She smiled suddenly. "Besides, Mr Load would probably want me to give it to you all the same. In fact, when I first received this remarkable device, he gave me a list of people to whom I was allowed to even _mention_ the existence of Scorpio and yours is the only name on it. Not even William knows that I've been looking into Global Justice's activities." She glanced across the table at the silent and suddenly passively observant Shego, smiling wryly. "Now, I don't know if he'd accept _Teri_ knowing, but since the two of you are so clearly working together, I guess it would be alright."

"Okay," Kim gratefully slipped the _Scorpio_ Kimmunicator into her pocket and turned her full attention back to Dr Director. "Do you have any tips on how to use it?"

To answer that, Dr Director simply reached into another pocket and retrieved a set of keys. "4764 Lake. It's the townhouse that I own until September, which is when William and I intend to attempt moving in together. You'll find everything that I've been able to dig up, as well as everything you need to know to use Mr Load's program. I'm not currently living there, so feel free to drop by and visit when ever you like."

"Alright," Kim took the keys and pocketed them. "It'll probably have to wait until tomorrow or later because _we've_ got plans for the day." She waved a hand between her and Shego as the woman in question finally polished off her Mount Everest of food.

"In that case," Dr Director stood from the booth and looked down at them both. "I'll leave you to your day." She reached into her pocket yet again and deposited a pair of twenty dollar bills on the table. "Don't worry about paying me back for your meal; it really _has_ been a pleasure."

Shego nodded casually, wiping her lips with her napkin, but Kim looked back up at the brunette. "You don't need to do this."

Dr Director shook her head, lowering her voice as she smiled conspiratorially. "Get me my company back and I'll call it even." She looked around the restaurant slowly. "Life as a civilian is far more relaxing than my post at Global, but it's boring and tedious." She turned to go.

Shego looked up to offer a parting shot to the brunette's back. "It was nice to finally meet you…Kelly." She smirked.

Dr Director stopped and turned to face the two women. "Likewise Teri." She gave Shego another measuring stare, "and I must say, the new look is good – but I'd suggest hair gel. It will go even farther towards making you someone else. And Kimberly," she fixed a mildly disappointed glare on the redhead. "Trust me, it will take far more than a wig to disguise a face as well-known as yours for more than a few minutes." She turned and walked away without another word.

Shego sat back, smiling contentedly as she studied her empty plate. "Better keep that thing safe, Pumpkin," she gestured at the pocket where Kim had put the new toy. "There's no telling how useful super-geek's creation might be." She looked up at Kim's face. "Kim? Are you listening?"

But she wasn't. Kim was drumming her fingers lightly on the table and staring off into space, lost deep in thought as an idea began to form in her head. _More than a wig, huh?_ She considered her growing brainstorm. _Could that actually work? I wonder why I've never thought of it before…_

"Kim?"

"Huh?" She looked up quickly, startled out of her line of thought. "Oh, sorry Teri – I was just thinking about what she just said." Turning in her seat, Kim caught sight of the waitress and raised her hand to get her attention.

Shego leaned forward across the table. "What's going on?"

"I want to try something," Kim replied distractedly, writing up a mental shopping list of things she would need to make this work.

Shego's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Just hold on." Kim looked around quickly and tried to calm her growing excitement and impatience.

_Where the heck is that waitress?_

* * *

"Okay, I get the new clothes, because _everyone_ can use new clothes," Shego walked into the deserted restroom of the mall an hour later. "But what is up with the bottles of paint," she stopped and stood by the sinks, "and the comic book?"

"Did you really have to threaten that waitress?" Kim followed Shego into the restroom. She was staring intently into the open shopping bag in her hands that held an odd assortment of items from a wide variety of stores.

Shego almost snarled in annoyance. It was unbelievable how frustrating the redhead could be while at the same time remaining so adorably _cute_. Shego shoved the image aside; she had a bone to pick with her little _Princess_. "Of course I did. _You_ wanted to get out of that restaurant like it was on fire." She lunged forward and tore the bag out of her the younger woman's hands. "Now, answer the question."

"Hey!" Kim looked up and, seeing the look on Shego's face, calmed down. "Alright Shego, I'm sorry I've been ignoring you, but I just wanted to get everything I needed before I forgot about it all."

"Needed for _what_?" Shego kept a hold of the bag even as Kim reached out demandingly for it. _Oh, no,_ she thought. _You don't order me around like that, Kimmie…_ "Talk to me – tell me what you're trying to do and I'll let you have your junk back." She stared at Kim, letting her act fall away to reveal all the feelings she'd been trying to suppress that had been growing over the past hour. _Hurt, anger, bitterness…do you know why I feel this way, Kim?_ "We're supposed to be partners, Kim, but it feels like you're leaving me behind."

Kim's outstretched arm fell to her side instantly and hung bonelessly as a look of remorse overcame her young, adorable features. Shego almost spat at the galling taste of the girl's guilt as it hit her like a kidney punch. "Oh God – I'm sorry Shego. I didn't realize –." Her eyes were wide. "I just got all caught up in my plan and I'm used to having just Ron with me and –."

"You don't have Ron," Shego interrupted quietly, setting the bag down on the multi-sink counter. "You have _me_, and neither of us are sidekicks." She reached out a hand. "Equal partners remember?"

Kim smiled and grabbed the offered hand awkwardly. "Equal partners." She looked up into Shego's dark green eyes. "Thanks for the reality check.

"Anytime, Princess." Shego lowered her hand again. _Count on it_. She turned to the bag on the sink, the subject forgotten. "So, about your bag of junk…"

Kim brightened for a second, but then turned to glance at the restroom door. They had the place to themselves for now, but that wasn't a permanent condition; someone could easily come in and interrupt the strange and definitely inhuman magic show the redhead was about to perform. "Okay, check this out." She looked around for something she could use and her eyes fell on the door to one of the bathroom stalls. "Okay, I've already told you I'm an elemental, right?" She reached out one hand and laid her palm flat on the thin-plated iron door. "Anything I touch can be changed and transformed into ice, water, or steam – water in any of its three forms." Concentrating, Kim turned the door under her hand into a solid sheet of ice, and then took her hand away. "Now see? It'll stay a block of ice like that until I change it back. Of course, ice melts so it would be a very smart idea for me to revert it soon, but first…"

She turned and grabbed the free upper corner of the door in one hand, placing her other just below it. Then, banging her second hand as hard as she could on the sheet of ice, Kim pulled back on the corner of the door, snapping it off and sending a shower of dislodged ice chips into the stall. "Ice is also brittle, so it makes it easy to break things when I use my powers." She passed her empty hand across the door, caressing the slick surface as she transformed it back into a dull grey iron door. Then, she stepped away from the stall, the corner of ice still cradled in one hand, and started walking toward the restroom door, which could still open at any time.

Shego stared at the gently swinging stall door. "I thank that's called _vandalism,_ Kimmie. My, you _are_ learning fast." She grinned at Kim.

Kim looked back at the de-cornered door and chuckled. "Don't worry – I'll fix it before we leave, but I needed something I could use to block the door. I don't think we want anyone walking in on this."

"No, I guess we don't." Shego walked forward so she could see what Kim was going to do with a corner of a door. _There isn't much you can do with a chunk of iron, is there?_

"Now here's the fun part," Kim turned and leaned back against the door, the block of ice now cradled in both hands. "See, as an elemental, not only can I transform things into water and back, but I can also control that water, whether it was ever water to begin with or not."

As Kim spoke, Shego watched the slab of ice in Kim's hand melt into pure water over the span of only a few seconds. The weird thing was, the water remained suspended in that shape instead of falling to the floor and slipping through Kim's fingers as Shego would have expected. Then, just as astonishingly, the block of…water started to flow around in Kim's hand, collapsing rapidly into a large sphere of water.

Shifting around a little, Kim held the ball cradled in one hand while the other moved to rest on top. "As long as I maintain contact with it, I can form water or steam into any shape I want, but it has to be ice or its original state if I want it to keep its shape once I leave." Kim looked up into Shego's eyes, a playful smile twisting her lips and a devious glimmer in her eyes. "Back at your place, I could have used little ice statues of you instead of snowballs, but the ice would have been pointier and harder than what I used."

Shego stared, wide-eyed at what she'd seen so far. "You know," she began in an awed and admiring voice, "I'm beginning to see what you mean about it being more fun to learn everything about you over time."

"See?" Reaching up with both hands, Kim slowly raised her water-ball until it met with the hinge for the hydraulic arm that kept the door from opening or closing too fast. "And the cool thing about water," she kept lifting the ball until the hinge was in the middle and completely surrounded by water, "Is that it gets in every little crack."

The redhead closed her eyes and Shego watched as the ball of water returned once more to the grey iron slate colour of the stall-door fragment from which Kim had formed it, only now it was a smooth sphere that encased the hydraulic mechanism of the restroom door, effectively jamming it shut because the hinge could no longer bend like it was supposed to. Kim slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the jammed hinge for a second before returning her gaze to Shego, a satisfied smile lighting her face. "See – instant privacy." She winked suggestively, "pretty cool, huh?"

Shego nodded dumbly, at a loss for words after the display she'd just seen. "That was…_amazing_." She stepped away and pulled on the door handle. The door opened about half-a-centimetre before the metal ball stopped the hinge cold. "But I still don't get it." She turned back to the counter with the plastic bag of still-random-seeming items. "What does _this_," she gestured back at the frozen hinge, "have to do with your bag of tricks?"

Kim smiled nervously. "See, that's where it gets a little weird." She moved away from the door and reached into the bag to start pulling things out. "Now, it's one thing to transform a bathroom stall door and reshape it." She placed the new clothes carefully on the counter and started tearing the sales tags off. "But," Kim laid the comic book out right in front of her beside the sink, "it's another thing entirely to do these kinds of things to myself."

Sudden understanding rushed through Shego's mind. _So_, she thought. _That's what the paint is for; I should have realized it when I saw it was water-based. I hope it works, because this sounds like it could be pretty cool._ "So, you plan to use the paint to dye your hair?"

Kim nodded slowly as she pulled the four bottles of paint out of the bag. "And my skin, but that might get a little tricky." Moving quickly, Kim started twisting the caps off the small paint bottles.

_My, my, my…You just keep getting more and more interesting, don't you Kimmie?_ "What do you mean by tricky?"

"Well," Kim set the bottles down on the counter in front of her. "This paint is pretty liquid, so I can't just mix it together and paint it on because it's likely it'll just rub off on pretty much anything I touch even if I do manage to get it to not drip off before it dries." She took the three colour bottles – red, yellow, and blue – into her left hand and then dipped a finger from her right hand into each one. "If my plan works, on the other hand, the mixture that I make will end up settling just below the first few layers of skin, so it won't rub off as easily and it should even look like a natural skin colour."

Kim closed her eyes for a moment, and Shego watched with amazement as she quickly transformed into water. The change began at her face and rippled up into her hair, turning her long, orange-red tresses fluid and colourless. The effect then moved on down from there, passing through her head and running a wave of change down her neck to disappear under the collar of the black t-shirt Shego had lent her after burning through hers. For some reason, Kim felt the need to keep her clothes intact, and Shego guessed it was so the paint wouldn't accidentally end up there, but she chose to ask no questions – there was no real need to question the redhead's use of her own powers.

Once her entire body was finished the transition from flesh to water, Kim's voice emerged from watery lips, sounding no different than it had a few seconds earlier. "Okay, let's try a little red…" The elemental shifted her stance a little so she could study the back of the hand whose fingers she'd dipped into the paint bottles.

Awed as she was by this unbelievable display of control from her old foe, Shego didn't see a faint cloud of red water rise out of one of the bottles to swirl into the palm of Kim's liquid hand and condense into a solid red splotch of paint. "And maybe some blue," Kim muttered, a slightly smaller cloud rising from another bottle to combine with the red that was already sitting there, result in a deep reddish-purple.

Shego finally realized what her partner was doing and leaned forward for a closer look at the girl's colour palette. "Okay, Kimmie." She watched a stream of yellow rise from the last bottle. "You are now officially, a _cool_ person."

"Thanks, Shego." Kim whispered, too busy focusing on getting the colour in her hand just right to spare any concentration on speaking further. A few more colour additions later and Kim sighed quietly. "I guess that'll have to do." She sounded almost…regretful as she stared down into her hand, which now had a dark brown cloud hanging just under the surface of her watery skin.

Shego took a step back to give Kim space. "Did you run out of paint?"

Kim's colourless and somewhat transparent head swayed slightly from side-to-side. "No, but I'm low on blue, which I need for something else."

"Why?" Shego snorted, amused. "Do you really think blue hair will make you unnoticeable?"

Kim's liquid shoulders rose in a shrug. "No, it's for my eyes." She continued to study her watery hand as the dark brown cloud immediately vanished, transforming completely into water as the elemental sought to spread the mixture all over her body, the most efficient means of doing so being the use of her ability to move water around her body. "_There_," Kim breathed finally.

Shego leaned close, "there what?"

No change came to the Kim-shaped pillar of water as Kim replied slowly, her mind still mostly occupied with the task at hand. "I've got my skin colour down, and now the eyes," a blue cloud rose from one of the bottles, vanishing into nothing almost instantly. "And the hair," Kim reached over and picked up the last bottle of paint – white – while gently setting the three other bottles down in the empty sink without reverting them back to their original forms. As soon as she released them the water formed bottles collapsed on themselves and flowed down the drain – never to be seen again.

Then, turning to her sole remaining bottle, Kim shifted it to water and dipped her finger inside, drawing out a long, thin stream of white as she gathered enough to colour her hair the way she wanted it. After a moment, when Kim's entire hand was filled with the white paint, she turned it completely into water and shuttled it off to its destination. "Okay, last part," Kim said finally.

Shego watched silently as Kim let the fourth bottle slide down the drain just like the other three. "Alright," she grinned," let's see the new Princess."

Water-Kim remained. "Just give me a second." The water that made up her body shifted a little, and then she sighed and turned to face Shego, her eyes now level with those of the villainess. "Now, here's the hard part." Shego could hear and smell the fear in Kim's voice and mind but it wasn't very strong, so Shego considered it to be more along the lines of a mild unease or nervousness. "What's wrong?" She reached out and laid one hand on Kim's shoulder, surprised a little when her hand didn't pass directly through.

Kim didn't reply for a moment but when she did, her voice was quiet. "I don't know how my body is going to react to having all this paint suddenly introduced into my system." She paused. "My hair should be fine, and my skin might just itch a little, but I just put paint in my eye, so I'm worried about what'll happen."

Shego smiled comfortingly, having the class to not poke fun at her girl when she was in doubt. "Hey, look at it this way; there's plenty of water around here and you can spit the paint out if it's too bad." She studied Water Kim for a second, wondering silently if maybe her nose looked a little different but not completely sure because she couldn't see Kim's features very clearly. "Personally," she smirked teasingly, "I just think you're too scared to risk it."

Just as she'd expected, Shego felt a surge of anger from Kim's mind. "Well, we can't have that," and an instant later, Water-Kim solidified and took on colour to become…

Shego stepped away, shocked. "_Wow._"

_I can barely believe it._

Kim's lightly tanned and rosy skin was now a light mocha kind of shade, her long red hair now a bright, lightning white. Her eyes, which had closed for the transition, now opened to reveal a pair of dark, ocean blue irises. But the change had gone far beyond mere colours. Shego could see now that Kim had actually changed the shape of her nose, widening it a touch while moving it just a little lower on her face. Her cheekbones had come down a little too, and her lips were a hair thinner. The longer Shego looked, the more she noticed the dozens of tiny subtle changes that worked to transform Kim into something else entirely. Glancing down at the comic book in front of Kim, Shego felt a suspicion grow in her head.

_X-men, huh? That's funny; Kimmie looks just like she was aiming to look like – no way!_ She studied Kim a little more closely as the girl quickly began to assess her impressive attempt at disguise in the mirror. The resemblance was really close, even though Kim's model was just an illustration. "Hey," she tried to get her partner's attention.

Kim looked up quickly, as if startled out of her private observation. "Hm, no pain. That's cool." Her eyes focused on Shego. "Yeah?"

Shego pointed at the comic on the counter. "You chose a comic book character?"

Kim smiled a little sheepishly, her light brown cheeks darkening just a little. "Yeah," she mumbled, "I like her."

Shego narrowed her eyes as she spoke under her breath, thinking aloud about Kim's choice of disguises. "Why _Storm_? What's so special about her…?" She glanced up at Kim's blue eyes, a teasing smile lifting one side of her lips. "You wouldn't happen to have any other powers, would you Kimmie?" When Kim's blush only deepened and the girl made no reply, Shego's tiny smirk exploded into a full ear-to-ear grin. "Oh my God," the elder breathed. "That is so ferociously cool." Shego stepped back. "Well? Come on – let's see some of that magic."

Kim shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I," he hesitated. "I try not to use it too much outside of training myself."

Shego pursed her lips thoughtfully as she regarded Kim with a serious respect and curiosity. "Why not?"

Kim seemed nervous enough about the very question. "It makes me feel like I'm not human anymore – to control so much power." She looked away, seeming ashamed – of all things! "Besides," Kim looked back at Shego. "I figure the less I use my powers in public, the more difficult it'll be for anyone to figure out my weaknesses."

Shego nodded even though she didn't really agree with the reasoning. "Well," she gave Kim a slow, measuring look. _It's a very good disguise, Kimmie. I'm impressed that you can do so much with just one power._ "I'm impressed that you have so much self-control, Kimmie. Me, I probably would have tried to take over the world by now."

Kim laughed, "No you wouldn't have." She reached onto the counter and grabbed the pile of freshly bought clothes. "You said yourself that global domination wasn't your thing." She walked over to the row of bathroom stalls and stepped into one of them, closing the door behind her. "I just need to change my clothes and then we can get out of here."

"Great." Shego turned away and reached out to flip open the comic book, glancing over the pages of colourful illustrations and captions. _I sure hope you don't think of this as the height of intellectual stimulation, Princess, because I might have to teach you a thing or two about books._

Shego was about a quarter of the way through the comic when there came a sudden thump from the restroom door.

"Ow…"

The plasma-powered and cursed villainess almost burst out laughing. It seemed like someone had tried to come into the bathroom, but hadn't realized the door wouldn't open, and had promptly collided with the heavy metal of the restroom door.

Shego released a frustrated sigh, "you better hurry up Princess. We're out of time."

"Hello?" The voice from the other side of the door was loud and strained. "Please, can someone let me in? I really have to go."

Kim swore and threw open the stall door, hopping on one bare foot as she pulled a pair of long jean shorts over her second leg. She'd already traded her black t-shirt for a dark red tank top that looked better than perfect on her. "I'm coming," she called, hopping over to the door as she finished pulling up her shorts. "Shego." She reached up and placed one hand on the heavy iron ball that was currently jamming the hinge closed.

Shego watched in fascination. _God, you're beautiful. I could just…_ "Yeah?"

Kim's eyes closed as a smirk spread across her face. "Think you can keep the door closed until I've put the stall back together?"

Shego snorted, "You're joking right?"

Kim glared as the door thumped again. "Come on Shego. I can't have anyone walking in on this." She transformed the ball into water and carefully separated it from the hinge, freeing it to move if the woman outside pushed again. Holding the new ball of water in one hand, Kim pushed on the door to keep it closed as she turned pleading eyes on the older woman. "Please, Shego."

Sighing, Shego reached one hand to lean hard on the door. _As if anyone who's out there could get past me that easily…_

Kim smiled in thanks and ran to the vandalised stall door, water-ball in hand.

* * *

"…And all the King's horses and all the King's men…"

Kim glowered at Shego and swept a lock of white hair out of her eyes. "Shut up."

"…Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again!" Shego cackled joyously as she threw one leg over her parked _Ghost's _sun-warmed leather seat. "Congratulations, Princess." She pulled her bike helmet over her head. "That was definitely one of the funniest things I've ever seen." She fired up the super-bike's engine, raising her voice to be heard over the noise. "And what have we learned?" She was probably smirking inside that helmet as Kim climbed on behind her.

_That you're irresistible when you're amused?_ Kim pushed the thought away even as it caused the tiniest smile to cross her face. "Fixing things is harder than breaking them?"

"Exactly." Shego glanced behind her as she pulled out of the parking spot. "You know, Kimmie, sulking works a lot better when you're not smiling."

Kim fought the urge to laugh as she hurried to put her own helmet on. After all, it _had _been pretty funny.

After re-shaping the ball of water into the stall door's corner and turning the door to water, Kim had carefully slipped the two together and changed them both back, hoping that it would be enough to fix the door. She'd finished changing her clothes, gone about gathering up her beloved comic book and everything else, and her elemental-style welding job had held together…for a few seconds, much to Shego's amusement. As luck would have it, the woman outside who'd been in such a hurry had bolted straight for the hastily-repaired stall as soon as Shego had allowed the restroom door to be opened. The instant the woman had slammed the stall closed, the top corner of it had toppled forward, landing on the tiles with a loud clunk as if it had only been sitting on the door, waiting to fall.

Shego and Kim had both retreated at the sight and the sound of the innocent bystander's startled screams. Kim's new mocha skin had darkened considerably from the embarrassment, but Shego had been all too happy at the outcome, dissolving into uncontrollable laughter as soon as they'd left the restroom.

"Come now, Kimmie." Shego pulled out onto the main street. "You can't win 'em all."

_Guess not,_ Kim thought, wishing for one insane moment that she had lost to this woman more often, simply for the chance to hear that laughter and see those tiny smirking grins.

"So," Shego throttled up as most of the traffic split off to merge onto the freeway beneath the overpass they were on. "Off to the museum?"

Kim wrapped her arms around Shego's waist and tucked her head close, cursing her helmet for being in the way. She really wanted to just burrow her head into her partner's shoulder, breathing in the irresistible smell of her shampoo, which she just knew would be there waiting for her. _What's gotten into me?_ Her grin widened. _I could just ride around the city with her all day. Too bad we've got plans…_

"Yeah."

"Well, let's hit it." Shego sped up again as the entire street seemed to empty out for them.

Kim squeezed Shego's waist briefly to acknowledge her last words.

After they'd merged onto a highway further down, Shego really opened up her striking motorbike's engine, rocketing past all the light traffic as if it were standing still. Only Kim's grip on the woman's waist kept her on the bike, but she was far from frightened. Nothing could frighten her when it came to Shego – not anymore. Because…

She felt _safe_.

* * *

A/N: Okay, not so much to report this time. Comment if you will. Anyone still reading?

Next time: Will I finally stop procrastinating and get onto some museum mission-ness, or will I just stick Shego and Kim together in a room to have a good heart to heart? You'll only find out next time in "Four Years Later: Chapter 10"


	10. The Calm before theMuseum

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Tenth – The Calm before the…Museum.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (aka: KIGO, aka: this chapter contain some images of ROMANCE between TWO GIRLS/WOMEN, aka: lesbian interaction. You've been warned – now go away if you can't be nice.)

**Rating:** Um…Hm…I've got nothing, so why don't I go with the PG-15 that seems to have wormed its way into my story?

**Spoilers:** For those of you who've been asking, I'm about to explain how the episode "Go Team Go" enters into this whole equation, seeing as how Shego got her "powers" from Drakken and _not_ the comet…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our two lovely villainii, our beloved Kim had just used her elemental powers to disguise herself as a familiar comic book character, and she and Shego were just heading out to "visit" the museum that they were intending to break into later…um…tonight. And Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

_**Chapter X**_

"So what's with the bike?"

Shego looked up from her staring contest with the lock on the gate, taking only a moment of her time to study Kim before returning most of her attention to the undeniably final statement declared by the iron box that encased the lock:

The museum is closed.

_I could easily melt this gate to the ground. What are they thinking?_ "What deal would that be?" She looked back up at Kim and stopped entertaining the thought of breaking into the museum that way. It lacked a certain…finesse, and – more importantly – Kimmie wouldn't approve.

_God, I _have_ gone soft._

Kim smiled knowingly as she glanced from Shego to the shut and locked gate, but she made no comment on her partner's thoughts. "What I meant was – that bike looks pretty normal," she gestured at where the vehicle in question was standing parked beside a fire hydrant only a handful of metres away. "I'd like to know what makes it so special that _you're_ so fond of the thing."

Shego matched Kim's smile and glanced back quickly at the museum building on the other side of the gate, her small smile growing a little smirk-ish as she entertained a new thought. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all that they'd arrived at the museum too late to do a quick walkthrough – for Kim's benefit of course; Shego had already memorized the layout of this building from the dozens of visits she'd made over the past seven years to just stand and stare at the ever-confounding armband.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't so bad that they'd missed the chance to case the place, but Shego found she didn't really mind so much. If she'd been alone, on the other hand…but no, she wasn't alone, and better still – she was getting a chance to do some more Drakken-bashing. "You remember that snake I used to work for?"

Kim rolled her eyes at the question. _Right, as if she could forget when you're standing right in front of her as a reminder of the three years you spent fighting each other._ "Of course I remember him. That's a hard villain to forget; he's the only thing I know that has blue skin." She grinned suddenly, "His stupidity was always good for a laugh when I felt down, though."

"Wasn't it?" Shego chuckled along with the white-haired woman while taking her place on the bike, leaning back into Kim when she came and took the backseat. "Well," she slipped her night-black helmet on and waited a few seconds for her partner to do the same, "as inept and useless as he was with death rays and hypertronic devastator drones, it was actually a little creepy how well he could deliver on little things. My climbing claws are just one example of his selective genius."

"And the bike's another?" Kim's hands snaked around Shego's waist as they rode off slowly. "Hey, if that's the case, why didn't he just start up a business and build super-bikes? He might have gotten rich enough to _buy_ the world if he could build something that _you_ find so great – what's it got, laser cannons?"

Shego smiled only somewhat regretfully and ignored Kim's rhetorical question about Drakken's motives. _I'm not always about the destruction, Kimmie – I hope you know that by now._ "Sadly, the _Ghost_ is unarmed, but she's got plenty of other goodies to make up for it." She caressed the handlebars lovingly for just a moment while they were stopped at a light. "Just under your seat is the nest for the nanodrones that can be used to modify and repair my bike."

"Cool," the redhead muttered as she glanced down at the leather seat below her. Then, after a moment, she looked up and pointed over Shego's shoulder so the villainess would see, "hey – pull over there."

Shego complied without question, surprising herself with her unspoken cooperation. "Alright," she killed the engine, "what are we doing here?" She turned her head to face Kim as they pulled their helmets off.

"What?" Kim fixed Shego with a disappointingly unconvincing look of innocence.

Shego could taste Kim's mischief and playful mood in the air, and inwardly cringed. _Oh crap – here comes another joke that I just walked straight into…_

"Haven't you ever fantasized about taking me in an alley before?" Kim's tone was playful but hesitant at the same time, as if she wasn't completely sure she wanted to be playing games like this. Shego distantly remembered the girl behind her saying something about trying everything once. _I had to fall for the wild one,_ she thought, thinking of all the other Possibles that fate could have paired her with instead of this sinfully adorable girl behind her.

Shego nodded to herself, having expected something along these lines, but she wasn't going to play.

Keeping her expression frustratingly passive, Shego turned to regard her partner with a stony glare. "Kim Possible, I promise you our first time is going to be someplace a _lot_ more special than some alley before a mission. I respect you too much to do _anything_ less." She felt her glare fade at Kim's amused expression. "You tricked me," she said suddenly.

Kim grinned unexpectedly, "just wrangling a compliment out of you – it's really easy to do, by the way." She leaned forward and planted a soft, brief kiss on Shego's cheek.

Shego reached up to touch her cheek as she felt a blush starting there, forgetting that through her almleti-lined gloves she wouldn't be able to feel the warmth, and then Kim's words hit her.

"Only for you," Shego declared honestly. "Anyone else would have a _real _fight on their hands if they wanted praise from _me_." She pulled away from Kim. "Now, tell me why we're really here?"

Kim giggled quietly, "what – am I not good enough company?" At Shego's rather diluted death glare, she relented and raised her hands up. "Okay, okay – just look up."

It was a simple request, but when Shego did so and saw what she had parked the bike underneath, she was momentarily at a loss. Directly above her bike was a long hanging ladder that led to the first in a series of fire escape balconies. "A fire escape," she observed, mildly bored, "So what?"

Kim climbed off the bike, "It's not just a fire escape, Shego." She stared up at the long line of balconies and ladders and pulled off her helmet. "It's a pathway to the roof of a building only a block from the museum you want to visit after hours tonight.

Shego looked slowly from Kim to the ladder and back, a devilish smirk spreading across her face. "I knew I'd love working with you," she remarked, climbing off the bike with her grin undiminished. She motioned to the hanging ladder politely, "you saw it first, so after you, _Princess_."

Kim smiled and backed away so she could make a running jump at the hanging iron ladder. "You're such a gentleman," she grunted offhand just before her fingers closed around the bottom rung and she started to pull herself up. "You should make sure your bike doesn't get stolen; we might need a fast getaway later on."

"I've got it covered," Shego was surprised to not feel any resentment or anger at being ordered around like this – however gentle the orders were given. _This is different_, she thought as she pulled a small remote out of her backpack and pointed it at her bike. She pushed a single button, and a tiny blue LED in the centre of the console lit up, blinking once before staying on as the entire bike around it vanished out of sight, disappearing once the beautiful machine's stealth package had activated and risen to full power.

"Coming, Shego?"

The villainess looked up to see that unfamiliar face looking down at her from above, framed with equally unfamiliar snow-white hair. "Yeah, I'll be right up, but stop just before the roof." She smirked as the disguised ex-heroine threw her a mock-salute and then whirled to take off up the fire escape, her feet falling surprisingly softly on the iron gratings. She turned back to look at the space her now-hidden bike still occupied. "Oh yeah," she mumbled to herself, glancing up at the fleeing snow-maned superhero look-alike. She made sure her satchel was secure and that her almleti-lined gloves were still secured tightly on her hands, and then she leapt for the ladder, scurrying up to the first landing with little trouble. She glanced up to see a flash of white hair through the iron gratings of the fire escape.

"This _is_ going to be fun."

By the time Shego reached the top floor, Kim was lounging against the red bricked wall of the apartment building as if she'd been waiting hours for her. "It's about time," the mocha-skinned woman stood from her place right beside the last set of stairs – the ones that led to a locked gate that barred off the roof from the building's tenants. "I was beginning to think you'd run off to find a new partner," she brushed the dust off the back of her jean shorts and smiled to make it into a joke, but Shego could still smell the tiny drops of fear that ran off from Kim's mind.

_Oh, for crying out loud…_Shego frowned. "I thought we had gotten past the whole doubting stage of our relationship."

Kim looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry, but I just can't seem stop going over the fact that you're a criminal, a woman –and a very hot one at that – and you've hated me with every fibre of your being –."

_This has really got to stop,_ Shego stopped the girl mid-rant with a single finger to Kim's lips. "Kim." _No pet names this time,_ she thought. _This is far too serious for that._ "Stop." _Stop worrying, stop looking for a hidden motive in my behaviour, stop second guessing yourself, and above all – stop thinking so little of yourself._

"I may be a villain," she said finally, "but then so are you, now. Global Justice agents are supposed to be the heroes, but look at what they're doing – it's not so much about _Justice_ as it is about _money_ and making more of it. Don't get me wrong, I like money, but I won't bust my ass for it unless there's some good incentive for it – like the chance to measure myself against a worthy opponent for example," she fixed an appreciative look on Kim and smiled faintly when a blush overcame that artificially dark skin. "They've taken making a profit to a whole new, dirty level that I'd personally never touch."

Shego watched with no small amount of relief as Kim paused to think about what she was hearing before surrendering to the urge to interrupt, "And so what if I _am_ a woman?" She stepped back and leaned against the fire escaper railing, smirking at a sudden thought. _That was some kind of kiss, Princess…_ "That didn't stop you from stealing my first kiss," she smiled genuinely at the memory even as she felt her pride crack at the admission.

Kim's eyes widened at Shego's last words, but the older woman pushed on before she could butt in. "And I _know_ we've already discussed that last one, so get over it." She paused uncertainly, knowing that wasn't enough to assuage her girl's fears or doubts. "I – it's been a long time since I hated you, Kim. The memories of how I've treated you won't stop playing in my head, honest – they haunt me even now, and if I could go back and change something I would, but I can't so I'd like to start things over between us." Shego turned so her gaze met Kim's, "trust me, Kim – I don't hate you, and I'm sorry I ever did."

For a moment, Kim showed no signs of having even heard the pale woman's words, but then she threw herself across the very small distance that separated them on the fire escape, enveloping Shego in an almost painful hug and almost tackling her over the railing and off the twelfth floor balcony.

Shego tensed at first and almost threw Kim off, momentarily forgetting who it was she was talking to because of her rather…effective disguise, but then she forced herself to relax for Kim's sake. _Damn, I hope she didn't notice that._ Shego reached out and wrapped her arms around the snow-maned girl, holding her close.

Kim shuddered once and then pulled Shego even closer, clinging desperately to the woman so she could whisper in a voice filled with emotion, "I love you, Shego."

Shego pulled away, gazing at her partner with gratitude, relief, and a reflection of the younger woman's own deep affection. "And I love you, Kim Possible," she unwrapped her arms from Kim's lower back. "Think you can open that window?" Mildly uncomfortable with all the emotion floating in the air, Shego changed the subject rather clumsily, pointing at the pane right behind Kim.

_Storm_ nodded slowly where she stood in front of Shego and reached back without turning to raise the window with one hand. She shrugged at Shego's surprised stare. "It wasn't locked."

"Ah," Shego nodded as if she understood, but she really didn't. _How can you be so perfect, my Princess?_

Kim blushed again as she climbed into the apartment through the window, following Shego's cue, and Shego was surprised to find that she didn't care as much as she should that Kim was privy to her thoughts. She felt no anger at the invasion of her mind because – strangely enough – she _actually _believed that Kim really didn't have absolute control over her powers at all times. And, even more surprisingly, she trusted her partner to not speak a word to anyone about what she'd seen or heard in Shego's head. _What a strange turn of events is this? Kim was the enemy four years ago. Not an enemy, but _the_ enemy. Four years ago, there was no one I despised more, but now...Not even eight years away from my idiotic and immature little brothers has made me feel like forgiving them and inviting them back into my life, but four years and one revelation are enough to make me fall for this girl and seriously consider jumping into bed with her? Ridiculous…_

Shego shook her head at the realization that her world had just taken another step into the realm of weird and followed Kim into the quiet and seemingly empty apartment. "I hope," she smirked minutely, "that you're at least _trying_ to stay out of my head."

Kim turned and lowered her head so her long white hair was hanging across her face like a safe curtain, shielding her from Shego's direct but gentle question. Instead, she changed the subject in a very soft and hesitant tone of voice, "was that really your first kiss?"

For the first time in a long, long time, Shego actually felt herself blush, not only at the question, but at the sudden thought of many other "firsts" she would love to have with the girl standing before her – the way she really looked of course. _Dammit,_ she thought, eyes closed tightly. _I hate that I've gone soft._ "Yeah, it was," she forced a smile through her embarrassment, "that's one of my biggest secrets, Kimmie – surprised?"

Kim nodded, staring at Shego with wide eyes for only a second before stepping back and looking around the bathroom that they'd found themselves in. "Well, I can understand after joining Drakken, you know – because of the accident, but what about before then? I mean, you couldn't have been more than what – twenty when we first met?"

Shego's smile was far more genuine now, "nineteen, actually." She leaned back against the window frame behind her, "look, thanks for the support, but I never really had time for a social life at all – not even before my accident." She paused for a moment, smiling grimly but not regretfully. _How could I have met you if I was stuck romancing some guy in some other time?_ "I went on a couple dates during my days with Team Go," she shuddered once. "It's been about fifteen years since that comet hit, so I clearly wasn't ever dating before then, but the dates I _did_ manage to go on were disasters," she lashed out and lightly bounced her fist off her leg. "They were all guys that wanted to take advantage of the fact that, A) I was the only girl on the team; and B) I was the only member of the team that didn't have a Glow or any kind of superpower."

Shego snorted a cruel, evil smile crossing her brooding features. "Dumb jocks learned pretty quick that superpowers aren't all that when you've got the best fighting skills of anyone on the planet." Shego moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub, gently waving a hand at Kim as an afterthought, "present company excluded, of course." She failed to conceal her ear-to-ear grin as a deep blush worked its way through Kim's dark cheeks. _Oh, she is far too easy,_ she thought. "That was the only thing that damn comet gave me, you know – a natural ability to fight, both armed and hand-to-hand but I prefer hands-on. It took some years to train my talent, because I didn't instantly know everything; I just mastered the styles within a few weeks instead of years."

"Needless to say," Shego stared at her glowing hand as she lost herself in her past, "I got a lot of flak from Hego for liking the fighting so much. I mean, that overgrown monkey had the super-strength, so he loved to lift and break big things, Mego had shrinking so he enjoyed doing that…why couldn't I be left to enjoy using _my_ power – just because it didn't come with a glow? Was it because it required a living being to be on the receiving end?"

Shego didn't give Kim a chance to respond before moving on with her monologue. "So, no – I didn't get my first kiss working with _those_ jerks; they kept me busy enough saving the city because _they_ couldn't dredge a single brain from all four of them – Hego always dragged the group down six evolutionary steps. Mego and the Wego twins were all right, but they just couldn't understand what the Hell I was going through. I mean, DAMN!" Shego lashed out suddenly at the wall, leaving a sizeable crack in one large tile. "My empathy had been around for a while, but I was starting to realize which emotions I liked to feed off best, so I was starting to take our fights with the bad guys and intentionally force them into a dark place to get some fear or anger out of the audience we'd _always_ have. I was also getting fed up with Hego's matchmaker act – always setting me up with the most misogynistic bastards I've ever met who wouldn't be able to charm their way into their own houses."

Shego looked around the bathroom again. "In the end, I left and took a little of Hego's pride with me – I noticed he still hasn't managed to settle down and have kids, but that could just be the fact that he probably doesn't appeal in the slightest to any woman in existence." Shego grinned maliciously, "on the other hand, it could also be the parting gift I gave him when I left Team Go."

Kim grimaced, remembering on brief moment in the Go Tower, when the big blue-suited superhero thought no one was looking, when Hego had allowed himself to succumb to some kind of perpetual groin pain – as if someone had kicked him hard enough to leave a permanent bruise. _Yeah, Kimmie – he pissed me off that much,_ Shego thought.

"So, between all of Team Go relying on me, the brainless idiots Hego set me up with, his yelling at me for being too into a fight, and everything else, I never did end up finding anyone worth more than a quick chat and a swift kick out the door." She glanced briefly at Kim, "and then, in the year-and-a-half before my life was _completely_ shot to Hell, I was just doing my best to stay out of Team Go's awareness. I met some cool people – guys and girls –, but no one who was really worth more than any of the jerks I'd met in my Team Go days." _No one except Kaia anyway, but _that_ is galaxies away from a romantic relationship, isn't it? It's just nice to have a fan for once._

Kim made a small noise of understanding when it seemed like Shego had finished her story, and then she looked up at Shego through that protective curtain of blizzard-white hair. "Well – how was your first kiss then?" She smiled faintly, hopefully.

Shego kept the grin off her face as she waved her hand vaguely through the air. "So-so," she kept the normal insulting tone out of her voice, and just waited for the disguised redhead's reaction.

Kim drew back, visibly deflated, "really?" Her voice was a mere whisper, broken – as if she was only a second away from breaking out into tears. "I'm sorry," she offered quietly.

_Sorry?_ Deciding to try and salvage the situation, Shego moved on quickly to the second part of her improvised joke. "You don't have to apologize, Kimmie."

"I do so," Kim muttered, "you didn't say it in so many words, Shego, but I got it – your first kiss sucked. Okay."

Shego finally let a grin split her features. _Oh, you _are _too easy, Princess; you fell for it hook, line, and sinker._ "Oh, no, Princess – you misunderstand me." She relaxed and let that grin shrink into that trademark smirk that she knew would get her Kimmie's excitement going again. "See, there's this girl I met a little while after I got my first kiss, and _hers_ are just out of this world – makes whoever kissed me in that hotel room look like a kid."

It took Kim a moment to realize that Shego was only talking about one "girl", but when she did, her face broke out into the most adorable, grateful, and caring smile she'd ever seen. "Thank you," she whispered. "That means a lot."

Shego nodded, "I mean it, you know. Your first kiss might not have been the best I'd ever dreamed of having, but I've had much better kisses since; seems to me like you're a fast learner."

Kim chuckled. "Aw – thanks, Shego."

"Don't worry about it," Shego waved the gratitude away but felt a little thrill of happiness all the same, "Just don't cry in front of me."

"Sure thing," Kim looked around the bathroom carefully as the subject was so obviously dropped. "Shego – what are we doing here?"

Shego reached into her black satchel and withdrew two small empty glass bottles. "I didn't ask you to join me so I could run around museums breaking the law with a comic book character." She held the bottles out to Kim with one hand while she slipped her bag off and let it thump to the floor, knowing the apartment they'd broken into must surely be empty because no one had come to investigate the strange voices coming from the bathroom. "I don't care if you want to wear this disguise in public, 'cuz I'll be wearing mine too until my hair grows back, but on jobs…" she studied Kim closely as she pulled her long black wig out of her bag, "We're regular us."

Kim smiled reassuringly, "don't worry, Shego; I wasn't planning on going into _any_ mission like this," she gestured down at her clothes and her artificially darkened skin. "I knew you wanted me beside you tonight – and personally, I wouldn't have it any other way." She smirked as a thought seemed to cross through the fringes of her mind, "I just didn't realize you'd want to see me again this soon."

Shego grabbed a face cloth from her satchel and started to wet it from the taps in the sink. "Well, what if I had plan for you between now and then?" She turned an amused and devilish grin on Kim. "I've had to go more than two hours without being able to hold you for more than a few seconds, and I'm not patient enough to wait much longer."

Kim's eyes were wide with surprise at first, but then a soft smile blossomed across her lips, matching Shego's own in sincerity. "Well, when you put it that way," an almost solid line seemed to pass from the top of Kim's head to her feet, trailing behind it the transformation from flesh and bone to water, once again leaving her clothes draped around her watery form. "But I don't need the bottles," she chuckled suddenly, her mind broadcasting that same combination of playfulness and nervousness that Shego had come to expect whenever Kim was planning to do something for Shego, either in an attempt to throw the older villainess off or prove something to her.

Shego drew back a little, face cloth held to her face as she worked to scrub her carefully applied layers of makeup off her face. _What on Earth? _"What are you up to?" She went back to rubbing at her face, slowly revealing her own pale green skin. "What are you going to do with all that paint then?"

Shego couldn't see it, but from the spike of pleasure from Kim's mind, as well as the tiny dose of excitement, she knew that her partner was smiling. She could also hear it in her soft voice. "Well, I've been out of this game for four years, Shego – no sense in letting myself dive back in unchanged, is there?"

Shego grinned as her nose and left cheek were revealed by her vigorous scrubbing, "a tattoo?" She turned to Water-Kim as an almost visible ripple swept through her liquid form. "Now this I've got to see."

"Just give me a second," Kim muttered, her body shrinking just a little and filling out fractionally to make up for it as she returned her body to its normal dimensions. "Alright, here goes…" Shego watched another ripple sweep through her partner's watery body as it quickly solidified back into normal-Kim. Her clothes were still different but that would quickly be changed. Kim started to pull her usual thin black mission shirt on over her red tank top, but then seemed to think better of it and just turned to face Shego, stuffing her rejected shirt back in her bag and pulling out a black tank top instead. Once she had dropped her bag to the dark tiled floor of the bathroom, she looked straight into Shego's eyes, black garment in hand, and turned in a slow circle. "What do you think?"

Shego didn't even pretend to not stare. Kim's new tattoo job was obvious, but it wasn't as hideous as many of the hundreds of tattoos that the hardened criminal had seen in her years on the outside of the law. "I like it," she grinned, knowing she meant every word.

On the left side of Kim's chest, just below her collarbone, she now bore a neat, thin-lined _S_ that was traced out in a brown so dark and so concentrated that it seemed only a shade away from all-out black. The soft, smooth curves of the letter were quite simple, but seemed to be kind of fancy at the same time, as if they had been drawn carefully by a skilled calligrapher. The whole figure was no larger than a small plum. It would be obvious enough to anyone who looked her way, but it would seem very stylish at the same time – quite a lot more so than what the former teen heroine had drawn on her back.

On either side of her back, following the skin-covered contours of her shoulder blades and beyond, Kim had used her elemental ability to shunt her extra paint around and paint a pair of snow-white wings, their colour having obviously come from the paint she'd put in her hair. Each tattooed wing was a little longer than the distance between the tips of Shego's thumb and pinkie finger, and each feather had been outlined by the excess brown colour that Kim had made for her skin. These wings, while more blatant than the _S_ below Kim's neck, still managed to maintain an air of grace and beauty that left Shego needing a moment to regain her tongue. The girl had even placed a small pile of white feathers between her painted wings, as if the white plumes had simply fallen atop each other.

Shego was quite surprised by how large and visible Kim had made her tattoos when she had never thought Kim would go quite that far. _I guess you'll just always be full of surprises, won't you Princess?_ Shego felt her grin widen just a little at that thought. _It just wouldn't be Kimmie without surprises…_ "I have to say, I like it a lot."

Kim blushed as she turned back to face Shego head on. Her voice when it came at last was a bare whisper, "thank you."

Shego smiled a little at the girl's discomfort. _It takes so little to get you flustered. God I love it._ "Now," she gently pulled Kim into a loose embrace. "If you want to preserve your comic book super-heroine disguise, you have to do just one more thing."

Kim's eyes were closed, and she was slowly giving off the soft and fruity scent of contentment – like peaches. _Now I find out why I came up with that particular name for you,_ Shego thought, remembering the many nights she had spent watching the girl in her arms sleep safe in her own home, made even more safe by the fact that Shego would not allow Kim to be taken down by anyone but Shego. The night-maned villain had berated herself so much for venturing to the Possible home so many times, but the sight of the heroine snug in her bed, letting off the light buzz of a content child…it was like an addiction…it wasn't Shego's favourite emotion, but it was a delicious one all the same, once again made more so by the fact that it was emanating from the fiery-haired girl who was now held in her arms, having unofficially marked herself as Shego's – whether she knew it or not.

"And what's that?" Kim finally spoke.

Shego's smile became a little mischievous, and leaned forward to murmur softly into Kim's ear, "Lose the clothes."

Those words shattered Kim's content and peaceful mood, replacing it instead with the sickeningly sweet taste of embarrassment. Shego's grin widened just a little when she sensed the embarrassment beating a hasty retreat almost as soon as it had surfaced in Kim's mind. This was probably one of the many larger, unforeseen benefits that Shego knew she'd be getting – the redhead's ability to suppress her embarrassment so quickly. That emotion ranked pretty high among Shego's favourites, but too much of it would always give her a headache from the unbearable sweetness of it all.

When Kim didn't reply, Shego pulled away, her grin unshaken as she correctly guessed the source of her partner's intense unease. "Look, Kim – if we're going to keep working and living together like this, we're going to end up doing a lot more than seeing each other naked." She winked playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The redhead's eyes widened as if the thought had never occurred to her, but that was far too naïve an idea for Shego to believe. "Yeah, I know," Kim was quiet, tasting of nervousness, apprehension, and a little fear that made Shego's eyes widen as the last puzzle pieces fell into place in her own mind. "But not yet," Kim continued hesitantly, "please, Shego – just…turn around?" When Shego didn't move, staring at the younger woman as if seeing her for the first time, Kim's voice took on a pleading tone, "Shego, _please_?"

Shego turned away slowly. _I can't believe I'm catering to her like this. _"Listen to me, Kimmie," She spoke in a low voice, and she wasn't even sure if her partner was listening, but she pushed on. "I can smell your fear, and I've got to tell you – you need to know," she swallowed uncomfortably, knowing exactly what she was admitting, confessing. "If you're worried about not being good enough, don't be – I don't want you to be afraid for a second longer that you're not good enough." She felt the blow to her pride as she spoke in this quiet voice, but she realized now that she didn't care – as long as she was hurting her own pride for Kim. _My Princess is worth a bruised pride,_ she thought. _She'd be worth a Hell of a lot more too._ "You're good enough, Kim – you're more than good enough…" she trailed off and heard Kim stop changing her clothes, waiting to hear what she was going to say. "Kim, I've got to tell you," she choked as part of her still rebelled against the idea of saying what she was about to say – of admitting defeat. The words she was about to confess were all true as far as she was concerned, but Kim wasn't supposed to know that – was _never_ supposed to know this. To admit what she'd held so close to her heart for so long would be to finally give in to her rival and admit that she was the better.

_But your Kimmie's hurting_, a voice spoke from deep inside her, close to her heart._ You could comfort her with this – it would be so easy…or do you want her to hurt until she breaks?_

_Dammit!_

Shego felt like banging her head against the bathroom wall she was facing, but settled instead for just leaning her head against it gently. God – how she hated choices between bad things but, then again…a hurt Kimmie was far worse than a bruised pride. Her pride would heal, especially if she had her Kimmie to keep her company through it all. _Well, here goes:_

Shego opened her mouth to speak…

And a soft hand fell onto her shoulder, "Shego…?"

That voice was all it took. Shego felt her tears well up and a sob rose in her throat as Kim's voice pulled at her heart, but she refused to let it out. Now was _definitely_ not a time for tears. Without turning to face the young redhead, Shego clenched her fist and whispered out the words that she had held in for seven years, acknowledged the thoughts she'd despised herself for having, and finally admitted defeat to the woman standing behind her.

"You're _beautiful_, Kim."

There was a sharp gasp from behind her, and then the hand on Shego's shoulder pulled, turning her around to face the woman she'd finally lost to after all the years they'd spent competing. "Really?" Kim's eyes shone – but not with tears – and her lips were turned up into the most adorable smile as disbelief threaded its way through Kim's emotions.

Shego could taste the wonder, contentment, and happiness rolling off of Kim in waves, as well as a new scent-flavour that she'd only begun to sense in the past day or so. It wasn't as good as Kim's excitement, being more subtle in its depth and richness, but it was quickly becoming one of Shego's favourite three emotions.

_Love._

_So this is what love tastes like._ Shego watched Kim trying to process what she'd just told her. "You _are_," she placed her gloved hands on Kim's arms and turned her so they were both facing the mirror above the sink in the bathroom they'd broken into. "Look at us, Kim." It was so much easier to say now that she'd already broken the dam that had held back her words. "You and me – who is the more beautiful between the two of us?" Anticipating the shorter woman's response, Shego clapped a hand over her mouth. "No you don't, Princess – acknowledge what you are." Shego looked away from the image in the mirror so she could gaze upon the real thing. "_See what I see_," she whispered, moving her hands up to cup the girl's face between both unfeeling, alloy-encased palms.

"I tried to hate you so much because of it." Shego traced the fingers of one hand along Kim's jaw. "Every damn time I saw you, I saw how unearthly your beauty was – and you didn't even seem to know it." Her voice raised a little as she grew more comfortable with what she was finally admitting. "And then, every night after we'd fought, I tried so much to hate you for all of it – for having the beauty I thought you'd stolen from me and showing it off in my face all the time; for having guys falling over themselves trying to win you – so many you could turn them down a dozen a day and you'd still be turning guys away on your death bed." Shego touched a fingertip to Kim's lip gently as she stared into her bright green eyes with her own darker forest orbs.

"Every guy on the planet wanted you," Shego tapped lightly on Kim's lower lip, "every girl was jealous of you," she changed her movement to a light stroking from one side of the redhead's lip to the other, "and I _hated _you so much for it." She looked away, hands dropping to her side. "It worked too," she laughed humourlessly, "I tried so hard to hate you that it actually worked, and even as I was falling in love with you, I still tried to hate you." She closed her eyes, "until suddenly – I had _nothing_ to hate you for, and I started to look at you as more than an enemy. I saw that I had hurt you so many times – too many times – with my misplaced hatred." She opened her eyes and gazed into Kim's face again. "I saw your beauty again, this time without my hatred…and I felt so plain beside you – so ordinary – so hideous because of what _he_ did to me." Shego looked back into the mirror, silently comparing herself to her Princess and seriously coming up short. "I see you for what you really are now, and trust me when I say you don't need to be afraid of me turning you away, because I could never do such a thing to an angel like you."

Reaching up to brush a lock of stray red hair out of Kim's face, Shego cast her thoughts back to the last fight they'd had while she worked for Drakken. Kim's instant of weakness in that ventilation shaft had given Shego the key that unlocked the chains that had bound her to that lying, scheming son-of-a-worm. Of course, Kim's momentary loss of control had also been the first step in Shego's worldwide retreat from her own heart, leading her all around the world to Kaia – the _only_ fan she'd ever had – and finally back into Kim's waiting arms, in spite of the fact that the redhead hadn't known that they were open wide for the older woman in the first place. _God,_ a thrill of emotion trickled up Shego's spine as she finally realized what Kim had done in that single instant four years ago in that missile silo when she'd lost control of her telepathy for that single moment. _You set me free, Kim…oh, God – thank you._

Shego drew back from her partner and just stared at her in wonder, awestruck by the sudden revelation of what her worst enemy had done.

"You really think I'm beautiful?"

Shego was jolted out of her silent worship of Kim's now fully-realized beauty, and she looked down to see the girl staring up at her with a hopeful, vulnerable expression on her face. "You should know that I do…_telepath_," Shego smirked to take the edge off her accusation.

"Thank you," Kim breathed, her eyes closing for a moment before a shy smile of mischief came to her face, "but I should tell you that I'm getting better at controlling it; I haven't been in your head for hours – I'm just good at reading body language thanks to constantly comparing thoughts to actions for seven years." She smiled gently, "you deserve your privacy."

"Thank you," Shego offered, less brokenly than Kim.

Then, Shego was surprised to taste the mischief in Kim's mind growing by leaps and bounds, as well as a complete resurgence of Kim's contentment, and even a precious droplet of excitement as Kim carefully regained her…_Kim-ness_. "So," she grinned deviously, "all this because I wouldn't let you watch me undress?"

Shego stared at Kim for a second before bursting out laughing and shoving Kim backwards into the bathtub. "Oh – you…you…"

Kim looked up from where she'd landed in the white porcelain tub. "Beautiful?" She offered.

Shego leaned over to help Kim up, "damn – you heard that?" _Well, I guess serious-time is over._

Kim nodded slowly. "And thank you again," she paused, and Shego caught the scent of the girl's quickly growing but well-controlled anger.

_Oh crap…_

"But next time," Kim stabbed Shego lightly in the chest with one finger, "you don't get to stop me from telling you what I see when I look at you."

Shego reached up and laid one gloved hand on Kim's cheek. "Deal," she whispered, moving her hand slightly in a soft caress, but then cursing herself because all she could feel was the solid, unmoving smoothness of the thin almleti core of her gloves, heated by the warmth of her own hands. "God," she breathed, "I wish I could touch you," she pulled her hand away and curled it into a tight fist, "just for one damn second."

Kim smiled gently and shot out one hand to catch Shego's before it could retreat too far. "You want more than one second, don't you?" At the older woman's silent nod, Kim moved her hand away from the gloved hand to wrap around a cool, green-skinned wrist. "I don't know about that," she grasped Shego's glove in her free hand, "but I think we might be able to get a second out of you." Then, without warning or asking permission, Kim forced Shego's fist open and started to pull the glove off.

Realizing what Kim was about to do, Shego stiffened and started to pull her hand out of Kim's grip. "No, Kim – I can't. Even a second is too much to go without hurting you."

"Shego." Kim's voice was firm and she continued to pull Shego's glove off, tightening her grip on the trapped wrist. "No – look," her eyes closed quickly, "do you see it?"

Shego's head swam as a vision overcame her senses, breaking through the barriers she'd built in her mind to block out everyone's emotions – Kim's in particular. She suddenly saw something so clearly in her mind's eye.

_Shego and Kim stood together in a white void without boundaries, Shego's glowing bare hand raised and drawing closer to Kim's unprotected cheek. Kim's breath was coming in shallow, panting gasps and her eyes were wide as she watched Shego – but not in fear._

_Never in fear._

_Just as Shego's hand was about to make contact with the redhead's cheek, the hazy green glow that had surrounded it vanished, and then Shego was softly caressing Kim's cheek without causing any harm at all. For a few seconds, they stood together like that, Shego's hand rubbing across the cool smoothness of her partner's cheek. _

_Suddenly, Shego's other hand shot up and a bright green blast of plasma erupted forth, aimed away from them and streaking off into the endless white distance – lost to infinity…_

For a moment, Shego's heart leapt at the possibility the vision Kim was providing offered, but her hopes were dashed just as swiftly as they'd surged into being; a woefully quick death for Kim's proposed idea. "God, Kim," she whispered the words that would destroy this glimmering hope. "I wish it were that simple, but it isn't." Shego used Kim's physical contact on her wrist to share her own image with the girl, knowing instinctively that her partner would not hesitate to use her telepathy at least this once.

_This time, as Shego's hand moved along the younger woman's face, her dangerous and unstable power suppressed through sheer force of will, both women's eyes closed as they lost themselves in these precious few moments of contact. A soft smile came to Kim's lips as Shego's cool fingers slid along her cheek to rest her palm flat against the smooth, warm skin._

Shego watched the soft smile cross Kim's face as the image played in both their minds, and the redhead started to pull Shego's bare hand closer in order to duplicate the image shown in the mental tableau they were sharing. Seeing what Kim intended, Shego stubbornly held her hand as far away as Kim's grip on her wrist would allow. "No, Kim – _look_…"

_A strained expression had appeared on Shego's face as she became lost in the soft warmth of her Princess' cheek and the taller woman's lips quickly twisted into a grimace as she struggled to keep her volatile plasma-sphere contained. Finally, Shego's free hand shot up like before, but nothing came out; the blast that Shego had struggled with and failed to contain exploded out of her other hand – straight into Kim's face._

Kim gasped, her grip on Shego's wrist tightening as Shego tasted the disbelief and horror coming off of her mind, but she held on, allowing the taller woman to finish her story:

_The blast threw Kim away, where she landed in a heap several metres farther along the limitless white void, her left hand flying to her head and covering the smoking and charred remains of half her face. Horrified, Shego ran to Kim's side and bent down to gather the broken form into her arms, her lips moving silently in what could only be a terrified apology, but Kim suddenly threw Shego away and rose to her feet, whirling on her and using her one good eye to glare at the villainess with an expression that she had only ever used once in all their years together:_

_Hatred._

_It was true, pure hatred, and Kim used Shego's shock at seeing it to dive at her and attack with a ruthless, merciless violence that could only come from blind, vengeful rage._

Unable to take anymore, Kim tore her hand away from Shego's arm, cutting off the physical contact that had allowed Shego to so easily share the terrible image of what would really happen if Shego were to fall for the temptation that Kim was offering.

As unwilling as she was to prolong the dark mood of pain and suffering that filled the bathroom, Shego pushed on, speaking as she pulled her glove back on. "As much as I wished it worked that way, Kimmie, it doesn't." She raised her hands palm out, "When I'm charging up for a plasma blast, the energy that keeps me from touching people _does_ die, but there are two problems. First, it takes a lot of concentration to hold it in for longer than a short blast and second, when the blast comes – and it _has_ to come eventually – it has to come from the hand that I'm charging." She chuckled bitterly, scowling as she stared into her hands. "The longer I try to hold it in, the bigger the blast'll be when it finally comes out, so the longer I try to touch you, the more it'll hurt you when I lose control."

_And I can't hurt you, Kim._

Kim nodded her understanding, "I get it," she reached out and took Shego's wrist once more, raising it up so that the villainess' now gloved hand was pressed tightly against her cheek. "And just so you know, Shego – I don't care," she pulled Shego's hand away from her face and tore the glove off once more. "You need this, Shego," she whispered.

Shego tensed and resisted as Kim started to pull her pale green, glowing hand towards her cheek. "No, Kim." She pulled back and ripped her arm out of the younger girl's grip. "I can't." She backed away quickly, shaking her head when Kim turned pleading eyes on her. "I don't want to hurt you," she looked away, lowering her voice to a bare, broken whisper. "I'm sorry."

"You won't hurt me."

Kim's soft and compassionate voice had Shego turning back to face her in surprise – she seemed so certain of the villainess' ability to control her untameable, destructive energy. Kim didn't try to take her hand again, but her eyes conveyed well enough the fact that she wanted to. "You've hurt me before, Shego." Her voice held no hostility, no anger at their past history, and Shego felt an increasingly familiar flutter in her chest at the reminder that Kim had long since forgiven her for her hatred. "And I've healed every time," she took a small step towards Shego, her voice remaining whisper soft. "I can see that you need this Shego – if you're ever going to learn to work with _any_ partner." Another slightly larger step brought Kim to within only a single hand-span of Shego's unmoving body. "I know it's a big risk," she reached up with one hand and rested it against Shego's cheek, creating the contact she knew Shego wanted to make with her but wouldn't allow. "But it's not fair for me to be able to do this when you can't." Kim's eyes slid down to glance at Shego's un-gloved hand.

The touch of Kim's fingers around her wrist caused Shego to tense again as she realised that her new ally's determination couldn't be matched by her own stubbornness. _God, no Kim – don't do this! I don't want to be the one to destroy you…not anymore, not ever._

She pulled on her arm as Kim raised it towards her own face once more, but her efforts were thwarted by her own conflicted mind. Part of her refused to hurt Kim if she could help it and was more than willing to sacrifice this closeness being offered to her, but the other part of her still wanted – needed – to touch her – craved this closeness like a saving grace. That part of Shego couldn't believe that this was real, refused to trust that Kim was actually here – had actually joined her – and she needed to know that this wasn't all a dream…a really, _really_ great dream that she never wanted to end. "No, Kim," she tried to pull her wrist out of Kim's grip, and Kim let her pull away only a little before stopping and drawing Shego's hand back towards her soft, unprotected face.

"I _can't_," Shego pleaded.

Kim gently touched her fingertips to Shego's lips to silence her protests. "You can," she whispered defiantly. Then, she spoke four words that completely shook Shego's world, leaving her mind paralyzed in shock and awe as the woman who had once been her most hated foe spoke the words that no one before had ever spoken – not her brothers, not Drakken, not even her parents.

The four words that had the power to completely crumble the hardened criminal's resistance as if it was nothing:

"I trust you, Shego."

* * *

Kim held her breath and waited for Shego's answer.

It wasn't all for Shego, of course, that Kim was so stubbornly pushing this issue. She too needed to feel the touch of her partner's hand – on her face, on her arm, in her own hand – anywhere; it didn't matter in the slightest. Maybe it was because Kim needed to prove to herself that that Shego was really here and that this wasn't all a dream. It was one thing for Kim to feel that the beautiful and tragically handicapped woman was real, but the vision before her could just as easily be nothing more than a statue unless it touched back, unless Kim felt the cool warmth of Shego's hand in her own or cupping her cheek, unblocked by the necessary evil of the other woman's gloves.

Kim studied Shego's face, feeling the taller woman's fear and wonder rolling off of her mind in whole waves. It took a great deal of effort to keep her own mental blocks in place to stay out of Shego's head, but Kim managed to keep her telepathy tightly reined in.

_Thank God,_ she thought. _It's about time I learned finer control of that._

Finally, after an eternity spent waiting in silence, Kim was disappointed to feel the arm she held pulling away gently but firmly, refusing to be forced to do what Kim was requesting so stubbornly. She reluctantly released her hold on Shego's wrist, realizing how afraid the woman was that she wouldn't be able to hold her plasma ball in long enough to keep her from getting burned. "Okay, Shego," she whispered. "I won't push, but I want you to know that I do trust you and…" the younger girl trailed off as she realized that Shego's hand hadn't moved away after being released. "Shego?" She stared at the glowing hand that was still held out, hanging only a dozen centimetres from her unprotected cheek.

Then, she saw the tiniest of fond smiles creeping onto Shego's face as she stared at Kim – a smile so miniscule that the villain would probably deny that it had ever existed. It was so small a smile, Kim was certain that it couldn't be anything but genuine, and she couldn't help the shy grin that twisted her own lips by way of reply. Curious at the woman's lack of response, Kim's head tilted to one side. When Shego's fear was suddenly blown away by a tidal rush of wonder and affection, Kim's smile grew even more self-conscious. "What?" _What could you possibly see in me that's so great?_

Shego stared into Kim's eyes for another few seconds before replying in a voice that almost shook with amazement and nervousness, "do you have any idea what you look like when you do that?" She tilted her head and mimicked Kim's expression as closely as she could. "It's beyond cute."

Kim looked at the way Shego had set her expression. _God she's beautiful…_Closing her eyes lightly, she tried to commit the image to memory. "Shego," she breathed softly.

"Hmm?" Kim could still feel Shego's eyes on her, studying her.

Kim waited a second to regain control of her voice. _My God, Shego…just the sound of your voice…_ "Shego," she repeated, her voice still trembling form the effect of the other woman's voice on her higher brain functions. "Either touch me or take your hand away from me." Kim went for confidence and determination, but her voice was little more than a breathless mumble when it emerged from her lips.

Shego's gloved hand came up to rest against the base of Kim's neck and Kim found herself leaning into the contact. "Why should I do either?" Her tone sounded curious but playful at the same time.

Kim's eyes opened and she turned her eyes to the glowing green hand that still hadn't moved for a good minute-and-a-half now. "Because," she began," if you don't make a decision I'll make it for you and we both know what I want."

Shego grinned knowingly, "Yeah, I know what you want." Her gloved hand stroked up and around to hold the back of Kim's head, causing Kim's eyes to close once more at the inexplicable pleasure she was getting from what her partner was doing. It wasn't even the skin of her hand, but the thought of how close Shego's bare hand was to her neck had Kim almost whimpering, but the sounds died before they could leave her throat.

Then, she felt Shego's breath in her ear. "And it's a good thing it's the same thing that I want most in the world."

Kim smiled. "What?"

"To touch you," Shego answered with an equally breathless voice. Her face was so close to Kim's ear that the apprentice villain could feel her lips moving as she spoke, moving so lightly – a phantom of contact against her ear while her hand still cupped the back of head, buried in Kim's long, soft, and bright, bright red hair.

Kim leaned her head back into Shego's hand, tilting her face up until she could stare at the ceiling 0 if her eyes had the power to stay open. She released a loud, hissing sigh of sheer pleasure as Shego's breath continued to pass by her ear and her hand started a gentle massaging motion at the back of her head. _Oh my…Shego…_ Kim felt like her heart had stopped for just an instant, she was in so much pleasure.

And both of them were still fully clothed.

Suddenly, Kim's eyes snapped open as she realized that there was another hand buried in her hair. A _bare_ hand.

"Shego?" She whispered, staying still so Shego's soft, cool hand would stay where it was.

"Shh," Shego's gloved hand moved around to press two fingers to Kim's lips. "I've never done this before, Kim, so please don't say anything; I don't want to mess this up."

Shego slid her bare fingers through Kim's hair, whispering something too softly for Kim to hear. Kim could feel Shego's wonder just rushing out of her mind like water down a river. "God, Kim…" Shego's hand slid through Kim's hair one more time before moving to gently stroke Kim's cheek and her lips.

But no sooner had Shego's cool hand moved to caress her partner's cheek then Kim felt that miraculously soft hand – miraculous in that, with all the work, fighting, and the accident, that pale-green skinned hand was still so soft – start to heat up, and Shego's breathing quickened as the strain started to pull at her. _No, Shego,_ Kim thought. _Don't give in – you're strong, Shego. You're so much stronger than I am, strong enough to fight this, and never forget that you have my trust…my love…_

Shego gasped suddenly a moment later as the heat in her hand returned full force, and she tore her hand away from Kim's face just as a plasma ball the size of a large child erupted from her bare hand and blew a hole in the wall right behind Kim, whose expression had grown only a little frightened.

_You won't hurt me, Shego…_

As soon as the wall exploded with a shower of broken and flaming tiles, Kim wrapped her arms around Shego's waist to keep her from retreating after having almost blown Kim's head off.

"It's okay, Shego," Kim rubbed her hands in slow circles at her lover's lower back. "I'm here; I'm all right. I'm safe."

Shego wrapped only one arm around Kim, her glowing bare hand still just held away from Kim's body. "I almost burned you again, Kim." Her words were spoken into Kim's hair in a soft, innocent-seeming voice. "I wanted so badly just to touch you, and you almost got hurt because I held it too long."

Kim drew back a little and stared into Shego's eyes. "Don't worry. I've been wanting to touch you too." She raised one finger to trace abstract designs on the other woman's cheek. "To prove to myself that you're real and that this isn't the best dream I've ever had."

Shego smiled nervously, "if this is a dream, don't wake me up." She shifted in Kim's arms a bit as she pulled her right glove back on, fastening it into place. "I asked you for one second, Kim – one damned second." Her eyes gained a little sparkle of some unfamiliar emotion, "but you almost gave me half-a-minute." She tightened her hold on Kim, using both arms now. "You could never know how much it means to me that you've given me so much trust."

Shego raised one of Kim's hands in her both of her own gloved ones and softly kissed the palm.

"Thank you so much, Kim Possible."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, So I've finally broken into the double-digit chapters – and what do you all think so far? I'd really love to know your thoughts, suggestions, predictions…

**Next Time:** Yes, Shego and Kim actually do break into the museum (finally), and we find out exactly who Neo-Kim is (for clarification of who Neo-Kim is, read some previous chapters…).

I'll be around for a while, so e-mail me, hunt me down, threaten me…Lord knows I've threatened the rest of _you_ enough to deserve it…


	11. Breaking Security

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Eleventh – The Museum Heist 1 – Breaking Security.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (Aka: KIGO, aka: this chapter may contain some images of ROMANCE between TWO GIRLS/WOMEN, aka: lesbian interaction. You've been warned – now go away if you can't be nice.)

**Rating:** Um…currently rated PG-15, but I'll warn you about some mild language, violence, and a few implied sexual themes…

**Spoilers:** "So the Drama" the Kim Possible movie and "Overdue"…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our two lovely villainii, our beloved Kim and Shego had just shred a…um…moment in some stranger's apartment, and Shego risked touching her new love without the barrier that kept her plasma from incinerating the girl. Oh, and they were also getting ready to do some breaking and entering, and some robbery. And Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

_**Chapter XI**_

"Hey, Princess."

Kim looked up from where she was crouched by the darkened window, unable to contain the happy smile that spread across her face at the sight of the taller woman standing in the moonlight, her long black wig shimmering in the soft white glow, "yeah?"

_Oh you are so adorable when you do that,_ Shego thought.

Shego's smile was equally endearing to Kim, if the almost violent spike in the redhead's happiness was any indication. Before, it had been just lapping gently at the edges of her mental barriers, but now it had started battering against it like an insistent child. "I've been wanting a good partner like you for –."

"– a long time," they said together. Kim dissolved into giggles at Shego's indignant look, turning back to the window lock she was trying to break. "Yes, Shego – I know. You've only said it about a thousand times since we left that apartment down the street, which – I might add – is going to need some remodelling." She laughed quietly, working on the lock with growing frustration.

Shego grinned, Kim's interruption forgiven. _That hole in the wall might actually make a good second door to the bathroom – too bad I took half the sink, though…_ "You know," Shego crouched down beside the frustrated redhead, "I could have had that lock broken a good twenty minutes ago, Princess – What are you doing down there?"

Kim didn't answer for a moment, focused as she was on the window in front of her. "Well, forgive me Shego, but I haven't tried to break into a place for a long time, and super-secret evil lairs are way complicated. You know what they say: 'the simplest tasks are the hardest to accomplish', or something like that." The lock on the window clicked open at that moment and it slid open a crack. "Finally," Kim muttered, sliding the pane open the rest of the way and climbing in, "I thought we'd be here all night." Sighing as she released her frustration, Kim reached up to rub an itch on her forehead, her fingers passing just over the black mask she was wearing over her eyes.

_I really don't get why you have that mask, Kimmie, but I suppose I'll play along._

"So did I," Shego followed her apprentice into the darkened office and silently slid the window closed behind her. "Here's adding another thing to the list of skills you need to brush up on," Shego mimed jotting things down on a writing tablet, "you need a refresher course on complex alarm systems and a decent few lessons on simple security." She looked up at Kim, still smiling as the girl crept through the shadows of the deserted office. "And you said this wouldn't be a good test of your abilities," she chuckled quietly. "Anything else you think I should add?"

Kim glanced back from where she was now crouched by the door to the office, smiling slyly at the older villainess, "how about a tutorial on how to kiss beautiful women?" She winked at her partner.

Shego couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at the new form their playful banter had taken. "Afraid not, _Pumpkin_," she walked over to where Kim was and pulled her to her feet, careful not to use her hands. Because she was technically on a mission, Shego had swapped her almleti-leather gloves for one of her pure-leather pairs, so her plasma-emitting hands were guaranteed to burn anything they touched. "Any more practice on _that_ and you might get the crazy idea that you can run off with any old piece of trash girl at a bar." She enfolded the girl into as good a hug as she could manage with her hands the way they were. She had her almleti gloves in her bag, as well as some other essentials, but she was content to leave them there for now.

_Barely._

Kim frowned slightly, her face still partially obscured in shadow. "Does that mean you don't want me to play along if someone flirts with me?"

Shego appeared to think about it, shaking her head slowly, "only if you plan on leaving me for one of _them_."

Kim smirked playfully, "even if it's nothing more than a one night stand?"

Shego tightened her grip just a little on the girl in her arms, horrified at the very thought of her partner throwing herself around like that – like she didn't matter. "_Especially_ if it's nothing more than that." She leaned into Kim a little, "you are worth too much to me for me to let you go and give yourself away to someone who'll only appreciate you for a wild few hours."

Kim smiled warmly, "deal." She leaned her head on Shego's shoulder, "I knew it – you _have_ gone soft."

_Dammit._ Shego sighed, "Only for you, Kimmie." She grinned wickedly, "I feel no pity for the poor sap who tries to get between us."

Kim laughed softly into her lover's shoulder. "Who knew you could be such a romantic?"

Shego shoved her away in mock anger, "I love you like Hell, _Princess_, but don't get all mushy on me or I might just have to call one of my thousands of other pretty redheaded girlfriends."

At Kim's stricken and heartbroken look, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, Shego almost kicked herself. _Smooth job, genius!_ She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Kim's shoulders, "oh God, Kim – I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." She made sure to keep her hands away from Kim. _Yeah, _that_ would go over well…_ "It was supposed to be a joke, but I guess it wasn't all that funny, huh?"

Kim laughed weakly, pulling away from Shego. "A joke – right…" She slid her hands down to hold Shego's forearms. "Okay," she finally said, her sadness at the idea of Shego leaving her bleeding away as she was gently reassured by the concern and compassion she could feel in the other woman's mind, as well as see in her eyes. "Say," their previous discussion seemed to vanish from Kim's memory as a new idea occurred to her, "how long would it take you to grow your hair out again?"

Though surprised by the sudden change in subject, Shego managed to move with it. She looked around the office they stood in. _What a strange place to have this conversation._

"Well, you know – my hair grows really fast, so I could look like myself again in about three, maybe four months." She was tempted to run her hands through her raven-black wig because the motion would be comforting to her, but was able to hold back the impulse. _I don't want to destroy my wig yet, do I?_ "But," she considered what her partner was implying, "I was thinking of keeping it short for a while longer; you were right in saying that we need to be able to disguise ourselves effectively, but I can't do that if my hair is long."

Kim waved that concern away. "Oh, don't worry about that; I can disguise you." She stepped away from Shego and pointed at the dark, dark brown _S_ that she'd tattooed on her left collarbone with her elemental powers. "Just like I disguised myself," She turned back to the door and contemplated opening it again, "but I'm not sure how well your body will take it."

"Why?" Shego stepped up behind Kim and stared at the white wings that were still clearly visible on the redhead's back – even in this light. _Just like Angel's wings,_ she thought with a tiny smile. _Hmm…I like that. Is it time to add another nickname for Kimmie? Maybe that'd be a good way to mark the change in our relationship…_ "Your body didn't take it badly."

Kim turned from the door, a thoughtful expression adorning her face. "Yeah, but I think that's because of the fact that I was able to do it to myself in the first place." She paused, trying to put her theories into words. "See, because I'm an elemental, I'm beginning to think it's kind of like my body's _supposed_ to be able to have foreign substances mixed in amongst my own cells, but your body is a different story. I think that what I thought would have happened to me will actually happen to you." She stopped again. "Like, when I expected my skin to itch like crazy but it didn't – I think _you'd_ itch like no tomorrow because your body isn't supposed to have anything totally foreign inside it like that."

Shego leaned forward, resting her head on Kim's shoulder, "and what exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?"

The redhead breathed in deeply to catch her breath. "It means," she explained, "that I can probably disguise your hair, skin, and general body dimensions, but I don't think I want to risk trying to change your eyes." She reached up unexpectedly to hold onto the nape of Shego's neck with one hand, rubbing gently – comfortingly. "I think it'd be a little painful when I change you back to real-you after I've mixed the paints like that."

Shego chuckled as she thought some more about what her girl was offering. "You know, much as I'd love to stand in this dark room and discuss how cool your powers are," she nodded her head to the door that was now behind Kim, "we _do_ have a job to do."

"Right," Kim smiled and pulled away, "one rare and completely useless armband coming right up." She pulled the unlocked door open and stepped out into the hall. "You know, I'd have expected better security from a museum; I mean, they _must_ have some artifacts that are at least a little valuable."

"Hey, what exactly did you expect, Princess?" Shego followed Kim out of the office. "This is a museum for grade school kids; there's not really all that much here that's worth stealing." She kept following Kim as the redhead made her way down the hallway – looking for a way to get from this administrative branch of the building to the public-but-closed sections of the museum. "I mean, there's not anything worth taking for a thief who knows how to shop." She pointed back at the office they'd just left, "We passed a jewellery story a couple blocks from here, which is easily a nicer target for most thieves."

Kim glanced into another dark and empty office, "less trouble to make off with jewels and you can pawn them off pretty easily, I guess."

"Right on, Princess," Shego tried an important-looking door only to discover that it was the Men's room.

And it was most definitely occupied.

* * *

_What the Hell?_

Andrew Jordan, lowly night security officer, looked up from his newspaper at the sound of voices and the door opened to reveal two faces looking into the bathroom – one pale-skinned and almost…green? The other face was normal-complexioned but she was wearing a strip of black cloth across her eyes like Zorro. Both of the intruders were clearly women, and it didn't escape Jordan's notice that the one on the left – the green-skinned one – was not-so-slowly melting the doorframe where she was leaning against it with one long-fingered and dully green-glowing black-gloved hand. She was wearing a green-and-black bodysuit that looked to be within millimetres of skin-tight, and had eyes that were the darkest green that Jordan had ever seen. And there was also something all-too-familiar about the raven-haired beauty, but he couldn't quite place it.

Yes, she was beautiful – Jordan could easily admit that much. Despite the fact that she was clearly a criminal of some kind – as evidenced by her presence in a _closed_ museum – Jordan couldn't deny the fact that there was an exotic quality and confidence to the woman that made her just really…_really _hot.

The redheaded Zorro impersonator's eyes narrowed almost instantly as Jordan mentally admired her partner's appearance, almost as if she had heard his silent appraisal. _But that's just crazy, right?_ There must have just been something in his body language that told Zorro-girl where his thoughts had presently led him. Just to be fair, Jordan spared an instant to check her out too in the tense and strangely unreal silence that followed the opening of that door. She wasn't half-bad, either. Red hair bright as a sunrise poured down her back to end perhaps halfway down, her eyes looked to be the same colour as the other woman – whose hand was by now wrist-deep in the doorframe.

And, oddly enough, there was also a rather noticeable, slender-lined _S_ tattooed in black across her left collarbone. A tight black tank top showed off a nice amount of a flat, toned abdomen, and a pair of black cargo pants completed the look of a woman who was going for comfort during what was obviously a museum robbery. For what, Jordan didn't have a clue; Redpath Museum didn't really have that much to interest any professional thief as far as he could tell.

_S…_

During the tense and far-too-long silence that filled the bathroom, Jordan stared from one woman to the other, realizing that the taller of the two was disturbingly familiar, but he really couldn't remember where he'd seen her. It had something to do with that _S_ on the other girl's collarbone – that was for sure.

The taller woman's voice pulled Jordan out of his thoughts. "God Dammit," she muttered, pulling her hand out of the smoking crater she'd inadvertently made in the wall. "It figures that the one door _I_ try to open reveals the one security guard in the whole place."

Zorro turned to the green-and-black clad woman, smiling wryly at her partner's expense, "well, what'd you expect, Shego – _no_ security?"

Jordan's eyes grew wide at the revelation.

_Shego? Here? Why?_

It didn't matter – really. Rising to his feet, Jordan tugged his pants up violently and fastened the button. He didn't have time to deal with the fly or his belt, so he just barrelled straight for the door as soon as he wasn't risking tripping over his own pants, hoping for the best. The _S_ on the other woman's skin made sense now:

_An apprentice._

Jordan had heard of Shego, world-renowned super-thief, and he'd seen a lot of news footage of the criminal in action. Her fighting skill was far beyond impressive and clearly surpassed Jordan's measly, high-school level security guard training.

So how he managed to get past _two_ of them would forever remain a mystery to him.

He shoved his way between them and out into the hall. Swinging left, he took off down the hall, aiming for the security booth by the main entrance, where his partner was covering the various camera monitors that were routed there. Expecting a painful tackle from behind – or a burning ball of green energy – Jordan was shocked to hear a short cry of surprise and the infamous villainess' voice.

"Hold it, Princess."

"But Shego –."

Their voices faded behind him as Jordan ran, hurriedly pulling his belt together and zipping up his fly as he went. Grabbing his radio from his no longer flapping belt, he pressed _talk_ and hissed into it, "Hey, Yonge!" _You better not be outside having a cig, buddy. I don't know if I can get to the booth before those two sort out their…thing._ "Yonge, are you there? Pick up!"

"Yeah, I'm here Andy – what's-a-matter?" Jordan's partner – and the only other living soul in the closed museum who wouldn't be trying to beat the shit out of him in the immediate future – didn't sound at all worried and it totally threw off Jordan's all-out panic mode. "You sound like we're under attack, man."

_I'd probably be happier if we were_, Jordan cursed. "Fire up the sile-arm, Yonge – we've got big-time 'truders."

"Are you sure?" Jordan's radio squawked, "okay…silent alarm activated – what do I tell Central when they call?"

Jordan searched his memory as he rounded a corner, using the arm of a sturdy suit of armour to swing him around so he wouldn't have to slow down. There was something in the old training manual about this – he was sure of it. The memory came slowly because he'd never given that section more than a quick glance, having never expected that the night-haired criminal would ever take an interest in their little museum.

The procedure for Redpath museum if Shego ever broke in – for whatever…reason – was for security to inform the Central control people that oversaw their silent alarm system. Central would then take that information and call in the "proper authorities" to call in backup. Used to be, the proper backup would be a request on Kim Possible's website, but with the heroine retired now…Jordan just didn't know how Central would handle this.

It had been a sad day indeed when Kim Possible retired, at least for Jordan; he'd seen the poetry that came to life whenever those two went at it – like a living, breathing, near-tangible thing. Good and Evil meeting and fighting each other to a tie until the end of time…it had been the only form of living poetry he'd ever seen, and it would very likely be the best example he would _ever_ see because nothing could possibly top the art that those two made when captured together on film; an image of light and darkness battling for dominance until eternity. It was a story as old as creation – older than the epic tales of Troy against Athens, Homer's Odyssey, and the trials of Hercules.

Still, in the here and now, Jordan was left with his partner in a museum alone with Shego and her prodigy. Like only half-a-painting, chaos would surely reign, if the other half wasn't found to balance Evil with Good.

Jordan raised the radio to his lips as he barrelled around the last corner before the security booth, the oh-so-dangerous intruders still nowhere in sight. "Tell them Shego's here."

"Shego?" Yonge moaned in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

Jordan froze as a pair of shadows fell on him from above. "Ah!"

Two black leather gloves fluttered to the floor at Jordan's feet.

"Jesus!" He bent double to regain his nerves. _Now I'm jumping at shadows…but such is the power of Evil, right?_ "Yeah, I'm serious." He kept his hold on the radio as he grabbed both gloves and then resumed his mad dash for the security booth. "Glow-hands, bit of a 'tude, and her app'tice called her 'Shego', so what do you think?"

Ten years spent working the overbearingly boring night shift together had caused Jordan and Yonge to develop a small game of their own when they tried to simplify the English language so much that the other couldn't understand a word. From this rather innocent game had emerged a whole language of their own that no other guard on staff could even stomach. Ten years of that strange, on-going game had given Jordan and Yonge an almost intuitive way of speaking to each other, almost a telepathic bond that allowed for the simplification of whole sentences without losing a single meaning in the process.

"App'tice, really? Any we know?"

_Apprentice, really? Is it anyone we know?_ "Don't know," he threw open the door to the security room and stepped inside, continuing to speak to his half-Korean partner as he lowered the radio. "Red hair, black mask – kinda like Zorro."

"Zorro?" Yonge turned his chair away from the small bank of security monitors. "Villains and their quirks, eh?"

Jordan nodded as a speaker on the left end of the monitor bank came to life with a quiet crackle of static.

"Redpath, this is Central security, what is your current situation?"

Yong slapped the reply switch. "We have a break-in at the museum in progress and a strong suspicion that one of the intruders is Shego."

"Say again, you believe that _Shego_ has broken into the Redpath Museum?" The voice on the other end was tinged with disbelief, which was quite understandable. The woman hadn't been seen for over three-and-a-half years, so her resurfacing in a nowhere place like Redpath was somewhat doubtful.

Yonge wasn't affected by Central's scepticism – if his partner said Shego was here, she was here. "That's right."

"And how strong is your suspicion?"

Yong glanced at Jordan. "Physical appearance fits, including her glowing hands, and her partner called her by name, so…very strong."

"Alright, just hold tight and we'll inform Global Justice."

The speaker went dead.

"Hmm…" Jordan leaned against the wall beside the door and stared at the security monitors, which showed no sign of the intruders. "So _that's_ the play they'll use with Kim Possible out of the picture. I'm not impressed." He looked to Yonge, "you?"

Yonge shook his head, "I don't think Global Justice has _ever_ been a match for Shego, so that makes two of us."

"How about we make it four of us?"

The two security guards turned to face the door, both going for their taser guns as the two intruders strode into the booth as if they owned the place.

Jordan gasped at the sight of the two women, wielders of such power, standing in such a close space. "Uh…you're trespassing on private property, uh – ladies. We've already called for back-up, so you'd better give yourselves up peacefully."

"Oh?" Shego just leaned back against a wall and crossed her arms, "I don't really think you can make us, but you're welcome to try." She glanced meaningfully at the woman beside her, "Princess?"

The redhead nodded silently and moved before either taser-armed guard could react, kicking off the wall in a fast spin-kick that hit Yonge in the side of his torso, twirling him around once as she dropped to the floor and kicked up, launching the younger security guard straight up into the ceiling, knocking him out cold.

Shego grinned deviously, "and then there was one."

Before the redhead could move her attention to Jordan, he fired his taser at her, twin lines of wire springing out to pierce her black tank top at the side of her ribcage to flood the woman's entire body with high-voltage electricity.

For a second, it looked as if the taser hadn't worked because the redhead didn't even slow down, and instead leapt forward to drive a fist that could have been as hard as concrete into Jordan's shoulder, spinning him to one side and down while her other fist came down to smash his head towards the floor, putting him out of the action just as he saw the muscles in her face twitching in pain.

So, the taser _had_ worked. Too bad the thing didn't have a full charge.

_Batteries must be dying, _was Jordan's last thought before his skull hit the floor and he was swept to temporary oblivion.

* * *

Kim tore the wires out of her side as soon as the second guard was out.

"Son of a _bitch!"_

Shego snickered, "a little uncomfortable isn't it?" She kicked the dead wires to one side casually. "Good thing the taser didn't have a full charge or I'd be working solo tonight." She walked over to the board of monitors and started flipping switches, cutting off the power to every camera and surveillance device she could find. One by one, the monitors went blank as the criminal disabled everything the museum had. _Nice of them to put the controls to everything in one place…_

Kim rubbed the side where the wires had hit her, wincing. "No…" She walked gingerly over to the chair the first guard had been in and dropped into it, sighing as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back in the mildly comfortable chair. "It had a full charge in it." She turned to Shego, smiling weakly, "doesn't really compare to a lightning bolt but then again, lightning doesn't usually run for more than a split second when it hits you."

Shego stared at her partner in disbelief. _My, my, Kimmie…you're just full of surprises, aren't you?_ "You've been hit by lightning?"

The younger woman nodded slowly as her body seemed to straighten, recovering rather quickly from the injury that was supposed to completely incapacitate her for hours. "Several times," she stretched, standing from the chair, "but only since acquiring my weather-control powers, so I figure it's maybe a secondary way to recharge myself since I seem to have developed a natural resistance to electricity."

Shego shook her head, chuckling mostly to herself. "You just keep getting cooler, don't you?"

Kim reached over to rub her side again. "It still hurts like Hell, but leaves me feeling better after a few minutes."

Shego considered what she had just been told, "so I guess if you'd had your whole weather-witch-ness back when you were in the business, that Eric synthodrone wouldn't have been able to touch you, would it?"

Kim smiled weakly at the memory, and Shego almost kicked herself…again…for bringing up the subject. This was always going to be a source of conflict for the two of them – at least until they actually found some time to sit down and argue about it like the mature, superhuman martial artists that they were. It had been the one time that Shego and Dr Drakken had managed to beat Kim Possible by using the dirtiest of dirty tricks: a planted double agent in the teen heroine's inner circle of friends, and worse – an agent that was supposed to play the part of the "perfect guy" and make Kim fall in love with it. Kim had been far beyond angry when she'd learned about _that_ aspect of that plot – she'd been pissed to Hell and back. And, as it turned out, the rage of Kim Possible – only a few hours after its creation – had proven to be way more than Shego's own old and unknowingly fake hatred could handle.

"No," the redhead said finally, chuckling quietly, tensely. "No, I guess he wouldn't have been able to catch me so easily."

Shego stepped away from the wall and moved to inspect the wounds on the unconscious security guards, deciding to change the subject to something a little more pleasant. "Impressive work, Princess. Your fighting skill is coming back at least."

Kim nodded and bent down to check for pulses. Both were fine. The man who'd been seated by the security monitors had a nasty bump swelling up on the top of his head, and some heavy bruising on his side, but was otherwise looking quite undamaged. His buddy, the one Shego had found in the bathroom, and whom Shego decided to taunt by whipping her gloves at him, had nothing but a bump on his head. "Of course," she stood back up, "these two were hardly a challenge." She turned back to Shego. "Now, will you tell me why we let them get word out before you made me beat them senseless?"

"Easy," Shego bent down to retrieve her leather gloves from toilet-man's grip. _Man, the look on his face when I threw these at him – it was freakin' hilarious!_ "See, simply setting off the alarms of this place would just result in cops – lots and lots of cops – and I know you don't want to be beating on cops unless it's necessary. This way," she gestured at the now unconscious guards, "Global Justice gets the message directly and right away. They find out exactly where we are and that there are about to be two very dangerous criminals where before there had been only one."

"Aha," Kim turned and walked out of the room, "so let's get this armband of yours before Global Justice agents show up to try and take us down."

_Ha!_ Shego smirked to herself. _Global has the worst response time I've ever seen. It's like they have a freakin' committee meeting before they do anything. _"Yeah, let's do that," she followed Kim out into the museum proper. "And, about your idea to disguise me, _Kimmie…_"

The redhead turned to fix Shego with a dazzling smile. "Yeah?"

The sudden surge of excitement from Kim's mind, which had been merely simmering at a quiet buzz since they left the restaurant that afternoon floored Shego with its sharpness. Nearly. "Uh," it _had_ caused her to momentarily lose her train of thought, however. "You get to choose my new alternate appearance, Princess, but only on one condition."

"What's that?" Kim's smile widened at the freedom her living canvas was giving her.

Shego fixed her lover with a determined glare. "_No_ comic book characters."

Kim laughed. "Deal."

* * *

"God, _what_ is taking them so long?"

Shego bounced another plasma ball off the armband they'd removed from its case nearly an hour earlier, marvelling at the way the artifact flared purple when the ball connected, but then simply reflected the projectile back into Shego's hand, forcibly reintegrating it into her body without causing any damage. It had awed her when she'd inspected the thing seven years ago, and it continued to astonish her now.

Sure, the armband didn't _look_ like much; it _was_ supposed to be just another standard military-issue roman legionnaire's wrist protection after all, but there were just a few obvious differences. Like the common armbands of the time, it was about the length of a human forearm, reaching from Shego's wrist to about three-quarters of the way to her elbow. Also like the wrist coverings of the time, it was completely unbroken all the way around its cylindrical length with only a hole at each end that was large enough to accommodate a large arm.

_Unlike_ the normal bands of the time, however, this one wasn't made of leather; it was constructed of some cool, smooth metal that shimmered in the dim light of the museum. There were also a collection of squares painted on its surface, each containing a different odd symbol that Shego didn't recognize, each one more peculiar than the last. Another difference was the fact that this armband didn't appear to have any fastenings whatsoever, meaning that whoever had worn it had to have been very careful to not let the thing slide off in battle. The whole object was either black or it was painted that way to make it look impressive even though no one who had seen it could figure out what the damned thing was.

Tossing another flaming green ball, Shego caught it when it rebounded, smirking at the resulting spike in the heat in her hand. "I swear," she continued. "We could have made off with half the museum by now," she muttered to Kim.

"On _your_ bike? I highly doubt it," Kim didn't look away from the empty space she was staring at through her aqua-blue rimmed sun-glasses, but her voice rose slightly in irritation. "Do they always take this long?"

Shego watched her partner raise her water-blue gloved hands to grasp at an invisible object. "Yeah," she replied. "It's why I've been spending so much time living undercover – clean." She clenched her hand into a fist. "I just couldn't stand waiting around for a good fight only to have a choice between Monkey Kung Fu and little-Ms-Attitude." She took in the way Kim was sitting cross-legged on top of another display case, playing the nerd game. "So – how's Nerdlinger's newest toy?"

"It's really cool," Kim looked over at Shego, "I'd offer you a look, but Wade told me that _CP 3.0_ will only work for one user, and that would be me."

Shego studied her partner for a moment. Even distracted and playing with invisible toys there was still a weird beauty in every movement Kim made that made her utterly irresistible. _God, you _still_ don't see it, do you Kimmie?_ "What?" Shego smiled slightly, "I haven't heard him say anything like that."

Kim tapped the right side of her head. "He forgot to mention earlier that the start-up mode has an earpiece as well as the glasses and one glove." She turned back to the empty space that hung in front of her and returned to playing with her invisible rocks or other objects. "I was running through a tutorial he created just for me; it was helping me set up the suit the way I want it to be."

Shego tossed another plasma ball at the armband, almost missing the catch when the artefact seemed to hurl her projectile back at her. "So, how far along are you?" _And how much longer until I can monopolize your time with that rematch duel you owe me?_

Kim grinned mischievously, "Oh, I'm finished setting up the suit." She swept her left arm across the air suddenly, as if clearing a table in the most chaotic way possible. "I've got all the commands figured out and every setting set up just the way I like it." She reached back with her right hand and pressed her middle finger against the back of the deep green-blue band that went around her head from one side of her VR-glasses to the other. "Just now, I was passing the time with one of the games that Wade put in here for boring times." With a miniscule whirring sound, Kim's sunglasses collapsed and the silvery vein-like wires receded back down her arm to reintegrate into the shimmering silvery bracelet around her left wrist. Then, the blue glove on her left hand also pulled back into the bracelet in the same way, "I guess I was a little bored and I kind of forgot you'd probably be just as bored." She smiled apologetically.

Shego shrugged, "It's not so bad," she stated only half-dishonestly. "It's actually been kinda fun watching you play with nothing, even though I _would_ prefer doing something else with you." She raised one eyebrow meaningfully.

Kim slid off the display case she'd been sitting on to land lazily in an almost aggressive fighting stance that Shego recognized from earlier in their history together, when the girl's skills had still been rather raw and unnatural – when she'd just been learning her stuff. _She was good even back then,_ she thought. _Good, but raw…_ "In that case," Kim smirked as she bent her legs to fall into a lopsided kind of crouch and held both hands in front of her like the talons of a bird of prey. "What do you say to a rematch – confuse the heck out of Ron and his friend by making them think we're still on opposite sides?"

Shego returned her partner's smile and vaulted off the display case she'd been lounging on to land right behind Kim, her head bent down to speak softly into the redhead's ear. "Make them think you've come out of retirement just to take a shot at stopping little old me? That's sweet." Shego reached out quickly to grab Kim in a bear hug and throw her to the floor in a wrestling move that had often worked very well on Kim. _Let's see if you've finally learned how to counter this one, Kimmie._

Apparently, she had.

Even before Shego's hands could meet around Kim's chest, the redhead's arms swung around behind her – fingers still moulded together like talons – and jabbed them into the sides of Shego's ribcage with a strangely loud double-thump, digging in and up painfully. "Nice try, Shego." The redhead spun away as Shego grunted and abandoned her efforts to entrap her.

Shego coughed and grabbed onto her left side, where Kim's talon- jab had been a little more painful. "Thanks," she straightened from the half-standing, half-fetal position she'd fallen into from the sharp and unexpected pain. "And you know what?" She shifted her stance to be more defensive, hoping to throw Kim off by reversing their roles; Shego had always been the aggressor. "I was thinking about your decision to go all Zorro on me."

Kim's sweet and slightly fruity confusion was only there for an instant before the girl was right in front of her, fists flying too fast for Shego to get a countering shot in. "What about it?" She panted, her mind steadily giving off a rather modest amount of excitement, "think it's too much?"

"Oh, not at all." Shego used the briefest of pauses in Kim's attack to drop to the floor and swing out in a low kick to sweep Kim's legs out from under her. "_I_ think it's cute – really."

Kim back-flipped over Shego's kick, landing with a broad grin on her face – whether from her avoidance of Shego's kick or from the pale-skinned woman's words. "So, what's the problem?"

Shego went on the offensive for the first time in their duel and leapt at Kim with a spinning kick that had been known to crush the sternums of lesser humans. Kim, however, simply crossed her wrists and blocked the kick, letting its force add to the momentum of her own countering spin-kick. "Well," Shego took the kick to her shoulder and slid sideways with the impact of Kim's boot to her body. "Nice kick, Princess." She charged up and threw a plasma ball –.

– Which Kim dodged narrowly. "Thanks, but you were saying…?" She settled into a more comfortable defensive stance.

Shego took the aggressive stance but did nothing for a few moments, "you know – you might fool Ms Holier-than-thou for a good few hours, but Stoppable will probably figure out who you are in about two or three minutes." Shego dove forward with a left-right combo that Kim blocked without any apparent thought before they started a back-and-forth sparring session which had both of them moving together in a dance so familiar it was as natural as breathing. "If you stay quiet it might take a little longer, but you two spent a lot of time together, so he might even recognize you with part of your face covered like that."

Kim blocked a fast rising kick, countering with a backhand that swept up diagonally from Shego's left hip. "Ron and I have been friends since pre-K."

Shego smiled somewhat wistfully at that. _Oh, to have a friend who stuck close for that long… _She dodged a left-hand jab. "So, it's pretty much up in the air whether he'll recognize you or not." She whirled around in a blinding tornado kick, which Kim blocked all-too-easily. "So, I'll ask again: what's the deal with your mask?"

Kim back-flipped away again for a quick breath of air, "like I said back in that apartment – I'm a sucker for dramatic entrances. Plus, there's also…" She trailed off and Shego swore she saw red in the girl's cheeks, "no – never mind." Kim exploded forward in a beautiful diving tackle that drove Shego straight into one of the museum's marble pillars. "Next question," she grunted quietly as they landed on the floor together in a heap, Kim lying atop Shego's briefly winded body.

Shego rolled, throwing her opponent off, unable to contain her amusement at Kim's embarrassed blush. "Ooh," she cooed dangerously, "I _know_ this is going to be good; spill it, Princess."

Kim dodged and pivoted on the ball of her left foot to deal a devastating kick to her rival's hip, throwing her into yet another pillar. "Do I really have to?" Kim continued without waiting for a reply, "I have a kind of…thing…for Zorro."

Shego rubbed her hip gingerly. "Is it like your _thing_ for comic book superheroes?" She grinned when the redhead's blush deepened, "Oh, this _is_ good." Shego changed tactics and shifted her stance a little. "Tell me _everything_."

Kim nodded and swung in with a chop that was aimed for her opponent's shoulder again, showing no reaction aside from a short nod of recognition when her rival ducked right under the swing. "Okay, Shego – let's just say that Zorro and all those heroes-of-the-people kind of characters – you know, people like Robin Hood, Zorro, the Lone Ranger, and all those guys – seem to embody the basic concept of my entire career as a vigilante." She laughed nervously as Shego finally pushed through her defences with a rapid serpent-strike that swept across Kim's chest with bruising force. "And, uh – there's also the added appealing thought of everything that happens at the end of their stories." Kim let off a high kick that missed completely when the taller woman dropped under it. "You know – that whole classic 'hero takes down the bad guys' deal." Kim dodged a pair of plasma balls that had been thrown simultaneously at point-blank range, impressing Shego with her speed. "But my _absolute_ favourite's the part that comes _after_ that," the redhead launched forward to return their duel to the blinding back-and-forth dance that Shego had hated herself for loving so much.

"And what part would that be," Shego blocked, blocked, and kicked, "hero goes home and life goes on?"

"No," Kim caught Shego's leg and threw her into the closest dark marble pillar, winding her when the older villainess landed on her back and started to slide down the smooth surface. "The next part," she pounced on Shego before she could slide very far, and pressed her body into the cool hardness of the stone column, "is so much better than just going home." She swept aside the weak defence her dizzy opponent tried to raise. Instantly, Kim had her arms around Shego in the bear hug the older woman had tried to get her into earlier, but she didn't throw Shego to the ground. Instead, Kim just leaned close to whisper her next words into her adversary's ear.

"The Hero _always_ gets the girl."

_Oh my God!_

Shego's body sagged in shock, completely floored by her partner's words as well as by the ever-increasing excitement in the air around them. _How can she do this to me so easily?_ "Nice line, Princess," she tried to brush it off, "do you use that on everyone?"

Kim pulled away and released Shego from her loose hug, but not before the villainess managed to catch a whiff of how hurt the girl was by her last words. _God Dammit,_ she thought, feeling her guilt rising to overshadow the immense enjoyment she'd been garnering from their little sparring match. _I can't ever seem to do it right, can I? After three years of hating her – and even more spent hating the world, have I completely lost the ability to love without hurting those I care about?_ Shego felt her hopes for a wonderful future with her beautiful Kimmie fading fast.

"No," Kim said finally, turning away, "just you." She turned back to face Shego, dropping into her traditional defensive pose, "And I _always_ mean what I say."

Shego bowed her head in apology, "I'm sorry." _Why the Hell am I apologizing?_ "I thought we were just joking around – you know, our usual playful fighting banter – but I forgot that the rules changed this morning." _Because your Kimmie's hurting – that's why. And you've already decided that we can't have that…ever._ Shego settled into her own familiar attack stance, fixing Kim with the most ridiculous innocent look she could muster. "Forgive me?"

Kim's lips twitched up into a warm and gentle smile that conveyed her love quite easily. "Always, Shego." Abruptly, the redhead went on the attack, resuming the lightning quick, intricate steps of their own unique dance as if they'd never paused to talk seriously.

Shego was so shocked by the sudden return to their fight that she took two punches to her ribs before her mind could catch up to the outside world.

As if sensing that her opponent wasn't even close to ready, Kim's punches were feather-light, barely even brushing across the taller woman's torso. If Shego were still in "_Hate Kim_" mode, this move on the redhead's part would have surely further infuriated her, but as things currently stood, Shego simply saw their rather violent play-fighting for what it was: a way for each to show the other how close they were, how in tune they were the one with the other.

When all else failed – if there ever came a time when they each forgot how the other felt, they would always have _this_. This back-and-forth dance, this giving and taking of physical blows and playful, heartfelt banter that had formed the very foundation of their relationship would always be there to help Kim and Shego reconcile. Through this new, higher evolved form of their dance, each would always see that they had only ever meant the other _true, lasting_ harm when under the influence of deepest hurt or trickery. Through this new, private language, they would always see that destiny had thrown them together, drawn them closer through pain and suffering, hatred and anger, and separated them for a time – all for the sole purpose of molding them into two bodies with one mind, two sides of the same coin…

Opposites, but forever one.

They were conflicting forces, Kim Possible and Shego, _Light_ and _Darkness_, _Good_ and _Evil_. Poems and epic tales had been written about the meeting of the forces they stood for, songs had been sung of that great, eternal battle, but no philosopher or artist had ever truly captured the sheer magnitude and consequences of their joining.

When _Good_ and _Evil_, _Light_ and _Darkness_ meet, only one of two outcomes can ever result. _Good_ and _Evil_ will make war on each other and will both be utterly annihilated, leaving nothing, or they will join together and combine to form…

_Everything._

All things in the universe could be found at the meeting of _Light_ with _Darkness _– the twilight of Creation. At the joining of _Good_ and _Evil_, an infinite number of possibilities are opened up and all things became possible.

Sure, there would be arguments between _light_ and _darkness_ – between Km and Shego, but steel is forged through fire, and the greatest and most beautiful works of art are made with the violence of hammer and chisel, and through the inferno of raw, passionate emotion. There could be no passion in the total agreement of Kim and Shego. There was no love found in their simple cooperation. Any disagreements they would have in the future could only serve to either fracture forever the bond they shared, or further strengthen it, drawing them even closer than before.

But, to ensure the latter outcome, Kim and Shego would always have their mutual talents and gifts to remind them of where each had placed their trust and love, and that no argument was worth losing the link that made them one. For that reason, Kim and Shego were forever joined, through fire and water, through peace and conflict…through better or worse…

Knowing that Kim was ready, but still afraid that she was moving too fast, Shego swept one of her brightly blazing hands across the redhead's torso, unsurprised when Kim twisted out of the way as smoothly as the water over which she held dominion. "You wouldn't believe the thought I've just had, Princess," she watched appreciatively as Kim moved out of the path of another punch, spinning into a roundhouse kick that Shego had to duck under.

"Actually, I think I would," the younger woman pushed aside the burning claw swipe that Shego had aimed at her bared abs. "I think very much that I _would_ believe it…"

Shego took a moment to ponder what her partner had just said, deciding to file it away for later. _As crap-tacular as Global's top agent is,_ she thought,_ she could still show up at any time and it wouldn't do to let them know about our respective secrets. _Shego threw a pair of punches, "remind me to ask you about what you just said when this is over." She felt a thrill of pride for her Kimmie's sake when the girl caught Shego by the wrist and rolled backward into a flip, throwing the villainess behind her and sticking her own landing like a pro. _That's my girl_, she thought, reminded once again of the beauty that flowed out from Kim's every move.

_Elegance, grace, beauty, power…_ It was truly awe-inspiring.

"Okay," Kim nodded her approval as Shego twisted in mid-air to land on her feet and one hand, her other held out to one side like a claw-filled paw. "So," with that topic closed, Kim went for something new, motioning for Shego to attack as she herself dropped into her defensive stance. "Tell me about the girl who's replaced me as the world's 'Kim Possible'."

Shego sprang forward, both hands held forward to attack. "What about her?" Her voice was filled with annoyance at Stoppable's new boss.

_Oh, the things I would do to Ms Attitude if I were the textbook definition of evil…_

Kim spun away from her opponent's next all-too-hasty attack, still remaining defensive. "What's she like?"

Shego snarled unexpectedly and swung out in another claw swipe that pushed through Kim's defence only to brush right by Kim's pearly-smooth shoulder without even raising a heat rash from her plasma-filled hands – just as Shego had intended when she came to that split-second realization that _this_ attack at least was going through Kim's block. _If I had wanted to hurt you, Kim, I could have; tighten up your defence_. "She's the most annoying piece of garbage crime-fighter I have ever met." She drew back and rolled into a cart-wheeling kick-flip that narrowly missed Kim's chin when the redhead flipped back. "Do you remember what Dr D used to scream at you every time you foiled a plan of his?"

Kim grinned as her body seemed to naturally sway out of the path of Shego's next sweeping kick. "You mean his, 'you think you're all that, but you're not' line?" Kim's voice rose into a pitiful whine when she quoted the amazing blue doctor, performing a fair impersonation.

"Yeah, that's the one." Shego kept coming at the shorter redhead, fists and feet flying as the former heroine became as difficult to catch as the wind. For one wild second, the older woman thought that maybe the girl was using her plethora of powers to avoid her attacks, but she knew Kim Possible, and she knew the girl would never sacrifice her honour and press that advantage – especially not against Shego. With Shego, it was purely a physical and verbal workout. "Well, if Dr D had ever," she dodged a leaping claw-swipe from her partner, "used that line on _this_ girl, she would have had the arrogance to take it as an insult." Shego pounced on Kim, wrapping her arms so tightly around her neck that her hands were able to be held over her own shoulders, thus sparing the girl from the harm her hands would always inflict. Her face now only centimetres from Kim's, Shego had to lower her voice lest she hurt her precious little Kimmie's ears. "Because she _does_ think she's all that, and she clearly isn't."

As they fell back together against a pillar several dozen metres away from where their duel had started, their rapid movements having slowly led them away from the still-open display case and the liberated armband, Kim blushed and Shego's closeness and she froze, biting her lower lip anxiously – obviously wanting desperately to close the distance between them. _No Kim_, Shego thought. _Not here, not now_. Global Justice didn't know about this facet of their relationship either, and it would probably be best if they _never_ did.

Nodding almost imperceptibly, Kim wrapped her right leg around Shego's left and tightened, forcibly bending her opponent's trapped limb and unbalancing her at the same time as her left hand braced her against the pillar at her back and _pushed_, toppling them both away from the pillar and towards the floor.

As they fell, Shego's arms quickly loosening from around Kim's neck, the younger woman twisted around the elder and placed her own feet solidly on the marble-tiled floor of the museum, reaching over with both hands to gently grasp her opponent by the shoulders and slow her fall so that when she finally _did_ hit the tiles, it was with a smooth softness that was almost akin to being laid down to sleep.

The thought of her girl laying her down to sleep sent shivers and a jolt of excitement straight down Shego's spine, but it didn't escape her notice how quickly it had all happened; to anyone outside their duel, it would appear that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Shego knew, however, that her eternal rival had just done something that she never would have done four years earlier. Even in the midst of their fight, Kim had reached out to care for her and make sure the fall didn't hurt her. It was yet another proof that Kim's love for her was one hundred percent genuine, and that she fully intended to be there to catch and help Shego whenever she couldn't help herself.

It would have brought a ghost of a tear to Shego's eyes if she'd spared enough neurons to think about it, but she just sprang back up – ready to fight Kim with a quick nod that yes, she had seen what Kim did.

And she would love her Pumpkin all the more for it.

Diving in with a complex combination of kicks and punches, Kim didn't seem at all surprised or concerned when Shego sinuously avoided each swing and thrust. "So," the girl panted, grinning wildly at her enjoyment of their sparring, "if she's such a pitiful crime-fighter, why would Global keep her."

Shego blocked a kick with her forearm, returning her partner's smile. "I don't know – maybe they just need a pretty face for the media crews that flock to every crime scene as if the concept of anything illegal was new to them." She punched lightly, "oh, don't get me wrong, Princess – she's good. She's got the potential to be close to what you were, but her job's just that to her – a job." Shego feinted with her left hand while bringing her right knee up into Kim's waiting block. "Good," she praised her partner, spinning away from a countering high kick. "But – you know – without that passion that drives _us_, she'll always be a whole galaxy below us." She smoothly avoided another low sweeping kick. "See, Dr Dementor's henchmen are one thing, and so are Dr D's synthodrones, but _us_ – we're a thousand worlds above Stoppable's girlfriend." She laughed suddenly at the stray memory that passed through her mind.

Kim blocked another power-filled spin-kick, sliding a metre or so to one side with the impact. "What's so funny?" She tilted her head just slightly as she asked the question, completely oblivious to how endearing that little shy smile was to Shego.

Shego stopped laughing and circled around Kim, taking a quick break as she studied her opponent's defence. "I was just remembering this one time when your bosom buddy broke into Drakken's lair all on his own with some weird rolling computer that had Nerdlinger's face."

Kim smiled and blocked Shego's experimental jab. "Nice try," she spun into a flying roundhouse kick that rolled off her hips like oil. "Ron told me about that one," she grunted as her boot struck her partner's waiting block. _Impressive moves, Kimmie…_ "He was looking for a library book," she continued, moving quickly to avoid or block the storm of punches, jabs, and chops that Shego aimed at her, "one that he'd borrowed from me that was overdue." Kim spun away from the unending blizzard of attacks, "He told me that you two had a nice talk before the Wadebot threw you into a supercomputer."

Shego made a face, "stupid robot arms; you never know where they're coming from." She chuckled again, "so, he called it a 'talk'?" She grinned, "Looks like he was holding back from you – you didn't get the whole story." She punch-kicked, hoping that an attack from two directions would break through Kim's solid defence, but knowing it would fail. _I just want to see how you get out of this one, Kimmie…_

Kim spun under Shego's punch and slapped her palm into Shego's ankle, batting away her opponent's kick without any apparent effort. "Well, we _were_ kinda busy at the time." She countered Shego's failed strike with an uppercut which Shego easily bent away from. "We were trying to close this ghost-monkey text that Ron took from Monkey Fist and then mixed up with the library book that had been in his bag the entire time." Kim paused to lash out at Shego with another flurry of kicks and chops.

Shego blocked and evaded a good number of the ineffective-yet-well-placed attacks. "Monkey Fist?" She grinned. _Oh, this is another good story – I can tell._ "How many places did he look for this book?"

Kim grinned as her excitement with their fight grew ever higher. "Four places that he told me. First, he searched Duff Killigan's personal golf course-island and got force-fed a batch of Killigan's family haggis."

Shego worked hard to ignore the emotional bouquet that was just pouring out of her adorable partner's mind. "That's disgusting; who would ever do that?" She wrinkled her nose and ducked under a low kick.

Kim frowned, narrowly avoiding Shego's backhand. "What – eat haggis? What's wrong with haggis?"

The older villainess stepped around a tall display case to catch her breath. "No – force feed it to someone. If they don't want it, why waste it on them? Hell, I like haggis."

Kim squatted down on the other side of the display, similarly fatigued – but never tired of the sparring match she was engaged in with the woman who had once been her worst enemy. Now, it seemed like that had been a whole lifetime ago. "So, after Wade saved him from Killigan's family recipe, Ron broke into Drakken's, had that 'talk' with you, and then got into Dementor's where he got attacked by an army of mutant, man-eating flowers." She stretched out her back slowly, carefully. "After _that_, Ron went and snuck into Monkey Fist's temple where our favourite chimp-man was getting ready to crown himself 'Supreme Ultimate Monkey King' or something like that." Without warning, Kim rose to her feet and vaulted over the display case, inside of which lay an open Egyptian sarcophagus – complete with dried-up and half-wrapped corpse – and dove down at Shego feet first.

Rather than expend energy to avoid the fiery-haired woman's attack, Shego simply stood and showed her trust once again by taking Kim's kick, which was aimed straight for her skull – a killing blow if there was enough power behind the blow.

True to Shego's original prediction, and following what she knew of the redhead's feelings for her, Kim's whirling kick slowed at the very last instant – slowed so much that when it actually connected with the taller woman's head, it was no more violent than if Kim had chosen to roll up a handful of newspaper pages and taken a swing at her with it.

Moving with the impact of her girl's kick, Shego rebounded off another display case and came back at Kim with a blazing green fist. "So," she nodded an acknowledgment to the redhead when she simply twisted aside to escape from the attack. "Did you want to hear about what your buddy and I talked about when he got into Drakken's?" She dodged a double kick and a swinging chop. "So, there me and Dr D were," she back-flipped over a low display to avoid Kim's lunging claw swipe. "He's got some gravity generator or a tidal manipulator – or something – which he's already taken two tries to even activate."

Shego dropped to the floor as her opponent dove over the display to grab her. "Because the blue dolt couldn't get it into his head," she finally managed to succeed in grabbing Kim in an inescapable bear hug – being careful not to let her hands get too close to her – and threw her into the air, keeping her Princess' trajectory high enough that she could take control of her fall, twisting to land in that trademark crouch that made her look so _wild_, so fierce, so untameable, so...

_Sexy._

Shego smiled, nodding her approval, "that his precious little doomsday thingie needed batteries." She dove in to attack with a flurry of blazing green fists, softening the blows the few times that she got through Kim's rock-solid defence so they didn't even connect. "So there we are," she punched, "he's gloating and being a pain in the ass because he's finally figured out what batteries are for," and kicked, "and I'm working on that tan I'll never get because of that whole waste disposal plant incident."

She ducked under Kim's swinging arm, laughing wildly at the pure enjoyment she was getting from this intricate dance now that she was no longer stubbornly reminding herself to hate the girl. She was also opening herself up to the full power of Kim's emotions for the first time ever, breathing in the super-energizing and completely irresistible scents of her girl's _excitement_, contentment, and a dozen other flavours that would have tasted like crap from anyone else, but tasted like the sweetest fruits of the Earth – simply because they were _Kim's _flavours.

Kim echoed Shego's feral, wild grin but she didn't laugh. "Too bad – I'd love to be able to lie in the sun for hours and not burn." The redhead ducked a kick.

"Greedy girl," Shego chuckled, throwing a plasma ball that would have crippled Kim if the girl was an invalid and couldn't move to avoid it. "You can't have _all_ the powers, Princess." She blocked a spin-kick. "So anyway," she retaliated with a spin-kick of her own. "Drakken suddenly starts screaming like the wuss he is because your buddy's pet rat ran across his foot." She smiled wildly as her spin-kick connected with the display case behind Kim because the redhead was no longer there.

"So," the glass shattered under Shego's foot, "being the loyal sidekick that I am – or _was_," she smirked, "I get up and move to stop your friends where they are." She ducked behind a tall pillar, leaning back against it for a quick breather. "I see Stoppable's rolling computer, so I make some crack about his TV following him around." She reached up and wiped a loose lock of her black wig out of her eyes. _Annoying natural-looking wig…_ "Then, I see that the blond wonder's just looking at me like he's about to wet himself, and _that's_ just not the kind of reaction I'm into when I taunt someone. It's too _pathetic_, really." She glanced to her left as the shorter redhead materialized beside her, seated on the floor and drawing in shaky breaths to calm herself. "Break?" She asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Break," Kim nodded her agreement, chest rising and falling with each breath. "So," she looked up as she slumped down a little, relaxing for the few minutes that they'd allow themselves to rest, "go on, _Professor._"

Shego grinned and planted her ass beside Kim's, "so, I suddenly realize I'm treating your buddy the same way I'd treat you, but I'm not getting the same fiery response from him that you'd give me, and it actually _hurts_ that I'm not getting it." She laughed bitterly at that thought. "Let me tell you – that night I was really punishing myself for missing your attitude that day, but anyway… I realize that I actually miss you because – and I hated both of us for this; you for being so irresistible, and me for being so weak – I _loved_ fighting you. Only you could get my blood flowing like that." Shego's face split into a faint smile as she thought about all the nights she'd spent cursing herself and the girl that now sat beside her when she could have instead been trying to _court_ her. _God knows it might have even worked_, she thought.

"It wasn't until much later," she continued, "that I realized that I actually loved _you_, but we both know about that already." She took a moment and thought about the new facets that had been added to the gem of their relationship. "So I try to brush it off like it doesn't matter that no one's sharing in my banter and I turn my patented Shego-smirk on Stoppable and I ask 'where's Possible?' and the strangest – and most hilarious – thing happens."

Kim's breathing was under control now as she turned to her partner. "What happened?"

Shego fought a giggle, "Stoppable gets this angry, offended look on his face and screams 'she's not my girlfriend!'" Shego's control failed her completely and she fell onto her side laughing quietly at her vivid memory of the sidekick's angered and – oddly terrified – expression.

After a few moments, Shego regained control and sat back up, glancing sideways at the thoughtful look on Kim's face, "so then," a quiet giggle escaped her, "so then I decide to make the boy wonder squirm just a little more, and I put on this great smile – like I've just heard the greatest news in the world, I stare him in the eyes and I say, 'I never said she was.' Oh, his face was freakin' _priceless!_" Shego dissolved into soft but uncontrollable laughter. "Then, he mumbles something," she continued in between gasps of air, "something about having one more place to look in the lair," she grinned, her chuckles subsiding. "He runs off and I go to stop him, but Nerdlinger-bot there grabs me and throws me into a mess of wires that I can't get out of before the lair goes boom."

Kim nodded slowly, obviously still deep in thought from something Shego had said. "We tried to have a relationship like that, you know; it was mostly because it was expected of us, having been together since pre-K and all." Her voice was calm, pensive. "It didn't work out, though," she finished lamely.

Shego stilled her laughter. "It seemed to be working fine at the dance after that Li'l Diablo incident," she observed, "better than fine even – it looked great…" She moved cautiously through this subject, unsure of how Kim would like her dredging up that dark chapter of her and Shego's relationship and commenting on her personal life. _Aw, to Hell with it…_ "What happened," she asked, "did he go all awkward and protective on you?"

Kim frowned, "actually – no." She looked up at Shego quickly, a question going unanswered between them. "What used to happen when he got himself into trouble was he would try to talk his way out, run, or take the beating and brush it off." Kim snapped the fingers of her left hand suddenly and they both watched as the shimmering silver bracelet around that wrist cinched tighter to her skin and expanded up and down to cover her left hand with a familiar water-blue glove that went all the way to her elbow like opera gloves. A second later, twin filaments of the same aqua metal shot from her gloved wrist to her bare one, wrapping around her right arm to form a duplicate of the original _CP 3.0 _bracelet, which expanded immediately into a glove identical to the one on her left hand.

As Kim wiggled her fingers experimentally – testing the fit of the gloves, perhaps –, Shego looked closer and saw that the thin wires that had connected the left glove to Kim's VR-specs back in the other room weren't connecting the redhead's right glove to her left as Shego would have expected. Instead, there was:

Nothing.

Tipping her head to one side in thought, Shego smirked confidently as an idea came to her. "You have options for how the bracelet communicates to the other suit parts." It wasn't a question.

Kim grinned and turned away from examining her new glove, "Yeah. Normally, the entire suit's supposed to be deployed so the parts can communicate directly, but Wade knew that I would rarely need – or want – the entire thing, so he programmed another way for me so I don't have wires crawling all over my skin like some kind of Sci-Fi Horror film." Kim smiled faintly, "so I went wireless."

Shego nodded her understanding, but a thought niggled at her insistently. "But what about jamming?" She thought she might see a flaw in the design. _But the super-nerd must have thought about that, right?_ "Isn't there a way that someone could disrupt the frequency that your…thingamabob talks on?"

Kim's smile widened at her partner's terminology, and the scent-flavour of her pleasure tickled at Shego's nose playfully. "Not from what I understand." The girl's eyebrows drew close together as she searched through her memory. "Wade somehow managed to get his hands on a complete BeBe robot – inactive of course – after our second run-in with the things." She paused. "He wanted to find a way to disrupt their newest generation of wireless communication, since they weren't affected by anything we had on hand anymore."

Kim chuckled suddenly, "I swear, he worked for three months solid on that wireless network but it was, to quote the BeBies, 'perfect'. The best Wade could do was replicate the technology identically, so he integrated that into his third _Centurion_ model." Kim shrugged. "This suit's wireless net might be jammable – someday. But even then, at _this _kind of distance," she spread her arms wide, "I'd have to be standing _on_ the jamming equipment for it to work. _CP_'s net is quite strong because it doesn't need to extend over any more than a metre-and-a-half – two metres tops."

Kim stood and started to pace slowly, "Besides," she held her arms out again. "The wireless net is only needed for when each suit-part forms or when each component's programming gets updated; each of the suit's pieces are almost totally self-contained."

Shego watched the light reflect oddly off the long blue gloves. "Very cool, Kimmie, _very_ cool," she studied the armoured gloves more closely, "but _that_ doesn't look like metal." Her voice still held that curious-yet-cautious air.

Kim smiled and dropped back down onto the floor beside her partner. "It is and it isn't," she replied cryptically, reaching up to brush the back of her hand against Shego's pale green cheek.

Almost against her will, Shego's eyes fluttered closed as the warm sensation of smooth, supple leather slid across her cheek. _What the…_in her fascination with the odd metal from which the _Centurion Project_ was made, the villainess had a hard time focusing enough to form coherent thoughts.

Her mind cleared as soon as Kim's hand moved away, "um…" she stared at the glove like it was a dangerous animal, "you're going to have to explain this one to me."

"Simple," Kim grinned light-heartedly. "I'm walking around with metal parts and everyone's going to know that something's up." She waved her arms vaguely. "Wade saw this too so he added some high-tech fabric and material simulation programming that allows me to make any part of my suit look and feel like anything from a wide variety of materials. And here's the bonus," she swung her hand through the air suddenly and Shego thought she saw the aqua-blue of the girl's glove darken a couple dozen shades before returning to normal once Kim's hand stopped moving. "If any suit piece detects fast movement like that, the material of that part will immediately harden into its natural state temporarily, which is an incredibly strong, durable metal alloy." Kim swung her left hand in a swift chop, the glove darkening just as the other had. "This will add more kick to my punches," she grinned widely.

Shego nodded slowly, "that is very cool, Kimmie." She returned Kim's smile, "this is all cool and interesting, Princess, but what happened between you and Stoppable?" Shego paused to think about her partner's last words on the subject. "Did he make you fight all his battles for him?"

Kim nodded, frowning in thought. "I guess we both kind of thought that being in a relationship meant we were supposed to be able to depend on each other, but he kind of took it to the extreme and completely stopped defending himself." Kim reached up to rub her forehead at the memory of all the headaches her childhood friend had caused when he became her boyfriend. "You know, I never really understood how far down Ron was on the High School food chain until he had me taking on the world for him." She shook her head, smiling ruefully. "He always said he'd do the same for me but it was a moot point because I was, like, the _Queen_ of Middleton High – right next to Bonnie."

Finally, Kim simply shrugged and her tone turned casual, "it was okay for a while, but I started to get this feeling like he was just using me – of course he's not that kind of guy. I don't think he even knows the meaning of the word _manipulate_, but we both agreed that it wasn't working out, so we split up and went our separate ways." Kim made a vague, waving sort of gesture in the air, closing the subject. "We were always pretty close as friends, though."

Shego studied Kim's face for a moment before deciding to take the plunge with a different topic. "I can't believe," she muttered under her breath, glancing away, "that _you_ got your first kiss before me."

Shego could feel the redhead's grin on the back of her head as well as taste her amusement in the air. "Hey," commented the redhead, "it's not _my_ fault you're old fashioned and had to wait until you were fifty to hold someone's hand."

_Fifty?_ Shego's head whipped around to stare at the smirking girl. "I'm only _four_ years older than you, Possible."

"Okay," the girl's smile weakened only slightly, growing apologetic, "but don't get me wrong, Shego – a fifty year old you would still be the _hottest_ woman on the planet."

Shego returned Kim's smile, "thanks, Kimmie." She chose that moment to return to their familiar verbal sparring. "And you looked pretty cute yourself when you were dancing with the sidekick at the prom." She smirked deviously, "that dress with the burned hem? A _great_ fashion statement, Princess."

Kim snorted at that, but her voice was quiet, hesitant. "I kept looking down at that burn on my dress all night, and it constantly reminded me of you and of everything that had happened earlier that night." She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the dark marble pillar. "Every single time I thought about it all, I regretted every last word I'd said to you before kicking you into that tower, but I couldn't take them back because I'd already said it all…and I'd _meant_ it."

Shego felt the heroine's sickening guilt roll through her from the distressed girl, and she knew it had to stop. "_Look_, Kim." She took a breath, "stop punishing yourself for that; you were caught up in the moment just like I was when I was told to hate you. It's only fair that you get a chance to hate me back since you took _my_ crap for so long. You've forgiven me for my unfair treatment of you and I can do no differently. Now, let's move on," she paused as a sudden thought occurred to her. "And remember this, Kim – you were more justified in your hate than I was because I'd actually done something to hurt you, but like I said: let's move on."

Kim nodded slowly. "_Thank you_," she spoke quietly, referring of course to the absolution she'd just received from her former enemy.

Abruptly, the energetic Kim Possible was back, her mind completely dry of guilt and sadness, humming instead with a diminished amount of excitement, contentment, and pleasure. "So," she turned her aggravatingly adorable grin on Shego, "if you saw me and Ron at the prom, it must not have taken you very long to escape from prison." She winked, "what was that – five hours? You couldn't have been checked in for any more than – what – _two_ hours?"

Shego chuckled, "Princess, there isn't a cage on this planet that's built to hold me."

"That's good."

It was a toss-up as to whom the newcomer's voice was more familiar; Shego had heard the high, musical voice most recently, but Kim had grown up through high school with the owner of that voice.

Regardless of who recognized the voice first, Kim and Shego both heard it coming from the other side of the pillar. "Because," the newcomer stepped around the pillar and stood over the two of them wearing a suspiciously pleased smirk, "I'd just _love _to keep hunting you down again and again."

Shego looked up at the new woman carelessly. _Well, it's about freakin' time!_

Kim only let out a surprised squeak, eyes wide in shock and staring openly. In the long, tense silence that followed, only one word successfully made it past Kim's lips.

"_Tara_."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so there's Chapter 11. What do y'all think?

A/N (2): And I end on the biggest cliff-hanger I've ever posted – MUAHHAAAAHAAAA! For those of you who missed it, Tara is Neo-Kim! Why? How? When? Where? Those questions are to be answered next chapter…

Once I've managed to turn my pages of notes into writing worthy to be typed up…that should take a week or so…

**Next:** We see a clash between the Kims, new and old. Who wins? Well, I suppose you all have your suspicions, but let's just wait and see. And why is Tara such a jerk? Could it have anything to do with the old Kim/Bonnie rivalry?

And keep your eye on the armband; it's an important plot piece! You'll see why in a few chapters…

And even though I might not update for a while, you can email me with questions or comments, or you can visit the KP slash forum and comment on my thread…I'll be around…

See you around, Kigo fans!


	12. Enter Neo Kim

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Twelfth – The Museum Heist 2 – Enter Neo-Kim.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. (Aka: KIGO, aka: this chapter may contain some images of ROMANCE between TWO GIRLS/WOMEN, aka: lesbian interaction. You've been warned – now go away if you can't be nice.)

**Rating:** Um…currently rated PG-15, but I'll warn you about some mild language, violence, and a few implied sexual themes…

**Spoilers:** Um…none.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, so last we saw our two lovely villainii, our beloved Kim and Shego had broken into the museum, knocked out the guards, and gotten their hands on the armband that Shego was _so_ interested in. Then, they got some sparring in (a much better scene than Chapter 8's if you ask me), and then the Team-formerly-known-as-Possible came onto the scene: Ron Stoppable and…Tara (?). And Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**_Chapter XII_**

"_Tara_."

The single word echoed in the silent space of the huge room of the museum as Kim stared at the tall, wiry thin blonde standing over her and Shego with a confident…_arrogant_ sneer on her face.

Tara King had certainly grown up in the four years since they'd last seen each other; that much was clear in the way the young woman held herself. The girl that Kim had known from the Cheer squad had always been one to stand proudly before the world, unashamed of anything that might be said about her, true or false, but most often when she was standing alongside any of the stronger, more forceful, and supportive personalities that she had known. It had usually been Bonnie who filled that role, but Kim had helped Tara to crawl out of her shell from time to time.

That shy – and even somewhat timid – girl was gone, replaced with a woman who held herself up boldly without help, and who even seemed to be acting like the world turned on her whim. There was a wild fire in her eyes that Kim had never seen before, and it made the young blonde look angry, furious…almost _bitter_. It was as if Tara was under the impression that the entire world was set against her and she could count on no one but herself.

Life had obviously not treated Tara well, but when her eyes turned from Shego to Kim and back – clearly not recognizing the redhead – the arrogant smirk that twisted her features grew a little and it seemed like her worldly problems were set aside. _Yes_, Kim thought; _here is a creature that lives truly in the moment so she doesn't need to think about how life has screwed her over. How she's been dealt such bad cards – I don't know, but I'm a curious girl, aren't I?_

"Oh," Tara grinned spitefully, "look what we have here," she spoke slowly, as if she relished every single syllable that passed through her lips as she turned her attention back to Shego. "I'm surprised _you_ remembered my name, Shego, but telling your little _friend_ 'bout me? I suppose I should be flattered, but I'm really not."

Kim watched Shego's hand clench into a tight fist and fall from its place on her lap, flopping to the floor to start melting into the dark marble tiles as her plasma-emitting hands encountered it. "I don't really have to dignify that remark with a reply, do I?"

Kim started to reach out to lay a comforting hand on Shego's arm – like she'd done back at Chez Cora's to keep Shego from outright tackling Dr Director – but the villainess was up on her feet before she could move. _Oh, crap…_

Before she could stop herself, Kim had reached into Shego's agitated, insulted, and infuriated mind and taken out one of her partner's thoughts to read. 'I should rip you a new one for your colossal arrogance you stuck-up, no-talent excuse for a –!'

Kim slammed her own mental shield up, cutting off the outside thought. _Sorry, Shego…_

"Ooh," Tara took a single step back from the seething green-and-black clad villainess. "Looks like Pretty Kitty's got claws," she slashed out with one hand and made an exaggerated imitation of a cat's hiss. "Better watch out, _Pretty Kitty_," she sneered, slipping the fingers of her left hand down to hover over a familiar looking, shimmering silver bracelet on her right wrist, "or I might have to pull out my own claws, and we both know what happens then."

"_Yeah_," Shego scoffed, "mass property damage that somehow gets blamed on me."

Tara shrugged carelessly, "it's not _my_ fault I'm breaking walls to get to _you_." She ran her fingers along the bracelet and it began to glow with a dull, bronze light.

Shego almost snarled and Kim looked fearfully from the one to the other. _Anger, fury, rage –everything you used to feel for me, Shego. Something really big happened between you two, didn't it?_ Right then, Kim resolved to grill her partner for all the juicy details as soon as they were away from the museum.

"Hey, Brat." Shego was growling at Tara now, seeming very much like a wild animal, "get a freakin' clue – you couldn't even hit me if I was standing still, so why don't you get some training, and _then _try and stop us?"

"I've got all the training I need right _here_," Tara tapped the glowing bracelet on her right wrist. "So, shall we?" Tara took an aggressive and severely flawed attack stance. "I haven't had a chance to kick _your_ ass for over three years; what happened – did I scare you into dropping out of sight?"

Shego made no move to adopt _any_ kind of fighting stance. "Say," she drawled casually, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, "where's your sidekick?"

For the first time since she'd interrupted them, a worried look of compassion entered into Tara's expression. "He's…"

"I'm coming, Tara!"

Kim heard a loud crash as someone ran into the suit of armour she'd seen in the other room and both of the women with her groaned wearily. Kim on the other hand, couldn't help the broad, happy smile from appearing on her face. _Some things just never change,_ she thought fondly.

And indeed, the cacophony of clashing medieval iron and steel plating actually got worse instead of getting better. When the cause of all this god-awful noise finally came into view, ever-accompanied by his own personal percussion section, Kim wasn't at all surprised to see that both arms of the fallen suit of armour had somehow detached themselves from the main suit and had latched onto the tall blond boy with – unsurprisingly – iron grips; one had him by the tail of his familiar black mission shirt, while the other had grabbed onto the back of his tan cargo-pants clad knee. With every step the now 22-year old boy took, the two complete and severed arms banged against each other, the tiled floor, and against their captive prisoner, drawing a yelping cry of pain from the young man.

"_Aow!_"

With a final high-pitched yowl, and with all three women looking on in silence – one in stunned disbelief, another in speechless embarrassment, and the last in delighted contentment at reawakened memories – Ronald Stoppable, childhood friend of Kim Possible, collapsed at Tara's feet with a deafening clang from his two unlikely attackers. Groaning, he rolled over onto his back and gazed up at the other blonde.

"Hey, Tara –." He spoke in as conversational a tone as he could, as if nothing was wrong; he reached down and tried unsuccessfully to pry the metal arm off his leg. "A little help, please?" He stared up at her with a hopeful expression.

Tara made a noise like a leaking tire, but she bent to help free Ron from the metal arms anyway. "I swear, Ron, I really don't know why I put up with you."

Ron climbed up off the floor and brushed himself off, "is it 'cuz I'm cute?"

Tara scowled, but Kim could see the softness in the blonde's eyes and it was so familiar to her – it was like the old Tara was still there in the woman before her, but she would only allow that girl to bee seen by Ron – her last link to that past, as it were. The gentle inner Tara that Kim had known was sheltered and hidden from everyone else, protected by her newer, bolder, arrogant personality.

"I hate when you do that," she muttered, almost pouting as she turned her attention back to Shego. "So, Shego – we meet again, and this time you've brought a playmate for Ron." She turned a bored half-smile on Kim. "Seems to me like she could use a little more training, thought; her fashion sense is _horrendous_.

Kim glanced over at her partner and narrowed her eyes, concentrating. 'Shego," she thought, wondering if this would even work.

Standing a metre or so away from the redhead, Shego flinched as if she'd just been slapped. 'Damn that was loud – whoever heard of loud _thoughts?_"

Lowering her "voice", Kim tried again, 'Shego.'

Shego's eyes narrowed instantly and she turned her gaze to meet Kim's narrowed eyes. 'Kim,' even mentally, the taller woman managed to make her voice sound like a growl. 'What have I told you about rooting around in my head?'

Kim made sure not to let her smile show through her passive mask. _Shego_, she thought to herself, _you're so possessive of your own thoughts. It's kind of cute, really…_ 'Relax, Shego – I'm not looking; I just wanted to be able to talk to you without _her_ hearing.'

Kim watched Shego's head twitch in a slight nod before she could stop herself. 'Okay, but only as long as you don't go digging deeper without asking.' Shego looked back at Tara. 'What do you want?'

Kim nodded her head to the heroine, 'let me take Tara first – we've got some catching up to do.'

Shego looked from Tara to Kim. 'Deal, but let _me_ do the talking.' Shego turned back to the impatiently waiting blonde. 'And don't forget to us your gadget guy's microburst emit-a-hoozits to reprogram her suit; then we'll switch and you can have some time with your bosom buddy.'

'And if she doesn't deploy her suit?'

Shego's mental laughter was a very pleasant thing to hear, and it seemed to invade Kim's mind, piercing the outer layers and suffusing every single neuron with a strange, tingly sensation that, while incredibly fun, wasn't distracting in the least. 'Against _you_?' A wide, cruel, and familiar smirk appeared on the taller woman's face as she silently – casually – gave the still-waiting Tara a disappointed look. 'If she can't even touch _me_ with that suit, how do you think she'll do against _you_?'

Shego stepped away from Kim and Tara. "You know what, Brat?" She kept her cruel, taunting smile on her face. "I really don't think my Princess is ready to be your boyfriend's playmate just yet," she paused dramatically, taking another step away, "she's _yours_."

Tara's eyes widened in surprise and a huge tidal wave of anger erupted from her mind, slamming into Kim's mental barriers, which fortunately held up against the onslaught, "what the Hell is this?" Tara stared at Kim, still clearly not seeing who she was, "what makes you think your pathetic, worthless mini-you can take me?"

"This," Shego sneered, "is the height of my disrespect. You and I have reached an understanding, and that is that you're a blatantly obvious waste of my time. Stoppable and I have never had a chance to test each other because _you're_ an arrogant, talent-less wannabe who's always hogging the spotlight. Now _Princess_, on the other hand," she glanced at Kim and her sneer softened imperceptibly, "she's quite easily my equal in every way, so she can easily beat you to a pulp, even _with_ your sad, sorry excuse for an armoured suit."

Tara narrowed her eyes as she stared at Kim, obviously trying to figure out just _who_ she was. "Okay, Shego – I'll play your game, but first you're going to tell me what you want from this museum; there's nothing here to interest a thief like you."

Shego's smirk was probably infuriating to the blonde Global Justice agent, but all Kim saw was her partner in her prime and enjoying herself. _Beautiful…_ "Oh, there's _something_ that interests me here, all right, _Brat_; I just don't think I have to tell you what it is."

With that, Shego turned and sprinted out of the room, "don't be too hard on her, _Princess_!" She tossed the words over her shoulder.

And then she was gone.

Kim knew where her partner was running off to of course; she was going to retrieve the armband they'd left in the other room. Tara, however, was probably under the bizarre impression that the extremely wanted criminal was cutting and running, dropping her apprentice behind to act as a distraction – cannon fodder – the traditional role of the _sidekick_.

But _Kim Possible_ was no one's sidekick.

"Ron," Tara didn't even turn to face him as she addressed him. "I'm going after Shego – take care of her little groupie." She turned to follow after the retreated green skinned super thief.

"Sure thing, Tara – leave it to me," Ron stepped up to face Kim and promptly tripped over his shoelace.

Smiling and rolling her eyes, Kim leapt over Ron's prone, struggling form and grabbed Tara around the wrist, twisting and throwing the blonde woman straight into the marble pillar she and Shego had been lounging against only minutes earlier, winding her quite effectively, "oh no you don't." Then, turning to Ron, Kim allowed herself a small smile, "you mind giving us a little privacy, Ron? Tara and I have some catching up to do."

He hesitated for only a moment before rolling to his feet and loping off. "I'm going after Shego, Tara – okay?"

"Idiot," the blonde woman wheezed softly, slowly regaining her ability to breathe; Kim noticed it took Tara a great deal more time to do so than Shego did when she'd done the same move on her. Tara straightened her stance and shook off the brief spell of dizziness. "I swear, when I get my hands on him –."

"You'll what," Kim interrupted, growing tired of her old friend's new attitude, "alienate one of the few friends you have left from the old days?" At Tara's shocked stare, Kim sighed and stepped back to adopt a very relaxed defensive posture. "What happened to you Tara?" She fixed the blonde with a measuring, questioning expression.

The short blonde gasped as understanding suddenly bloomed in her eyes – as if someone had just ripped a blindfold from her face. "_Kim?_" Her voice was quiet, doubtful.

The redhead raised the cloth from her eyes for an instant before resettling it on her face. "Surprised?"

"_Very_."

Without another word, Tara exploded forward, catching Kim across the left shoulder with a punch so hard in seemed to come within only a handful of Newtons from dislocating it.

_Holy…_

Kim spun away from the suddenly whirling woman. "What is your deal, Tara?" Kim reached up to rub her shoulder even as she ducked under a rather clumsy left hook. _My goodness_, she thought; _Shego was right – you _are _worthless._ She lowered her hand from her shoulder and back-flipped away from her childhood friend to watch as she snarled and just rushed her. _The only reason you were able to hit me that once was because I wasn't expecting it._

"_You_!" Tara's voice was nothing friendlier than a hostile growl. "_You're_ my deal!"

"Right, right," Kim rolled her eyes and brushed aside an incredibly juvenile high kick, "like _that_ makes it all _so_ clear." She stepped to one side when Tara tried to tackle her. _She's a berserker_, she realized suddenly. _All she does is attack…attack until there's nothing left._ "Why don't you tell me some more?"

"You killed Bonnie!" Tara kicked off a display case nearby, coming at Kim with a backhand that, while it had a lot of power behind it, was lacking the control that would truly make Tara a _real_ fighter.

Kim decided to get a little fancy and swayed out of the path of Tara's backhand, snapping out one of her arms to catch Tara around the wrist as she spun past. Using her new grip on the blonde, Kim twisted on one foot as soon as Tara's feet touched the ground, sending Tara spinning away to trip over her own feet and stumble over the two severed arms that had formerly attached themselves to Ron, raising a deafening crash for the handful of seconds that Tara was kicking them.

Tara's last words made Kim reluctant to follow up her counter to Tara's backhand with _any_ kind of attack. There was something she needed to know here – something important. "Exactly _how_ did I kill Bonnie, Tara?" Kim stepped back and studied her replacement in the hero world as the blonde dropped into an aggressive fighting stance and glared at her. "She was fine when I left Middleton."

Tara threw herself at Kim, going into a more complex combination of punches and kicks that were actually very well-executed. Shego was definitely right about Tara's moves; she was good – and she could quite easily become even better, but she didn't have the same passion for what she was doing that Kim and Shego had possessed and breathed every day of their lives – that very same passion that had driven the two of them to rise to a whole new class that was light-years above the rest. Without that _fire_, Tara's moves were so heartbreakingly juvenile; like she'd pulled them straight from the textbook. Admittedly, that was exactly how Kim and Shego had begun _their_ careers, but their heated competition, as well as their love for the adrenaline rush and the thrill that came with hand-to-hand combat, had driven each of them to push themselves and their skills had quickly evolved into their own unique style that was difficult to predict for anyone but the other.

As Tara's blows were effortless blocked on after another, it became increasingly evident that Tara's job was nothing more than that to her – she came in to work, punched her card or whatever, and she got paid. The fighting skills she needed to hold onto that job were so obviously rehearsed, as if she practiced the same routine over and over in her spare time.

In fact, what had at first seemed like a single woefully ineffective combo in the middle of a losing fight was now clearly seen as only a small part of the greater, giant combination that made up Tara's entire attack plan from start to finish. It was like a program in the blonde's head – like a "_fight mode_" – and Kim could see that while there was _a lot_ of potential, Tara's abilities were only trained to the bare minimum that would allow her to stay with Global Justice – only good enough to take down synthodrones and henchmen.

And God knows how many synthodrones one _Kim Possible_ was worth.

Kim could actually pinpoint the exact moment when Tara's over practiced super-combo ended because her punches and kicks instantly became hesitant, probing, as if she was suddenly unsure of how to proceed. Kim surmised that at this point in her fights, Tara expected to be the last one standing – all of her opponents were supposed to be on the ground, but Kim wasn't going to fall for it.

"So," she threw a punch – intentionally slowing it down to a point where her opponent _should_ have been able to block or avoid it – and she nearly choked on the absurdity of it all as her fist simply breezed right through Tara's defence without encountering resistance. _My goodness,_ she thought, feeling mildly insulted. _This is the best Global Justice has to offer? That is so weak…_ "Tell me how Bonnie died – I thought she went to Boston or something."

"She did," Tara grunted as Kim's second punch made contact with her ribcage, "but _that_ wasn't the Bonnie I knew – you killed _that_ one."

Kim stopped herself from rolling her eyes again as Tara seemed to press her own reset button and went back to the beginning of her silly, overused, and totally ineffective attack program. "Okay – see," _this has gotta stop,_ she caught both of Tara's fists and slapped them together so hard that it was unlikely that she would be trying to punch her again very soon; her index fingers and thumbs were already starting to swell up in a very painful-looking way. "Forgive me for not catching the hint, but _what part did I play_ in killing your best friend?"

"It was _your_ leaving that killed her," the raw fury in Tara appeared to cool somewhat with the pain her hands were now in, but her eyes still burned with hate and the desire to destroy the focus and the cause of that hatred. "Back when you were at Middleton High, she lived to harass everybody – but she loved to insult you most of all."

Tara shook out her hands, wincing as the pain persisted. "I doubt she ever told anyone, but she knew you were her equal in so many ways, and because of that, she always pushed herself to be better than you. That fire, that _intensity_ brought out everything in her that I admired. Her passionate anger at everything you did made her so exciting to be around." Tara's eyes closed lightly as she thought of better times.

"But _you_," her eyes flew open and her tone grew unbearably harsh, "you had to go and destroy her, didn't you? You just couldn't resist the temptation – and I thought you were a _good _person." She looked like she wanted to punch Kim in the face, but the injuries in her hands prevented that.

Kim stepped away from Tara and thought about what she was being told for a few long moments. "Nope – sorry," she finally said, shrugging helplessly, "but I'm still not seeing it." She leaned back against the dark pillar, "I thought she would have been only too happy to see me go."

"Oh, for the first few weeks, she was." Tara glared at Kim with an uncomfortable intensity. "When you graduated early, Bonnie thought it was her freakin' birthday." She looked away, shaking her head slowly, "but as time went on, and there was no one who could compete with her – no one who could hope to make her fight for her place on top, she started to die. That passionate and confident young woman I admired had started to fade away and I couldn't stop it."

Kim thought about it a little. At least Tara's accusations were starting to make sense now. _But, then again…_ "But if all she needed was someone to stand up and challenge her, why didn't _you_ do it?"

Tara snorted, laughing humourlessly. "Do you really think _I_ could have taken your place, Kim? You and Bonnie were _Titans_; no one at Middleton High could even come _close_ to you. If I'd even tried she would have incinerated me and then gone back to her angry brooding, only this time she would have been down a friend." She sighed wearily, "Without you around, she just…_died_, wilted, faded away. She withdrew from the world and took to sitting alone with this ugly scowl on her face like someone had shot her dog. She stopped eating lunch with _anyone_, she became brash and bitter, pushed everyone away; she even dropped out of the Cheerleading squad."

"What?" Kim almost fell over in her shock, "she quit the team? But she would have been captain without me there."

That's just it, Kim – 'without you there'. Without you making her push herself," Tara's frown deepened, "without you to fan that fire that made _Bonnie_, she just stopped trying because everything was suddenly so very easy. When she didn't have to share the top of the mountain with you, the world was just handed to her and it _killed_ her." The shorter blonde looked at Kim with a sad, tragic look now – that fury and hatred that had burned so hotly within her eyes was almost completely dead. "You were her opposite," she continued, "and no one knew that separating the two of you would destroy her."

_This still doesn't make sense,_ Kim thought, being certain to keep an eye on the blond; this _could_, after all, all be an elaborate ruse. _I did fine without her, didn't I?_ As understanding dawned on her, Kim felt like she could kick herself. The reason Kim hadn't been destroyed the same way that Bonnie had was because she was_ Bonnie's_ opposite – not the other way around. Now that she thought about it, _her_ opposite was all too clear:

It was Shego.

_Shego_ was the one who pushed Kim to be her best – but _their_ relationship was built on a time when they'd only see each other for about an hour three times a week – at best. So, the separation of the one from the other wouldn't hurt either of them quite as quickly since their encounters were many-but-far-between to begin with.

It would have happened eventually though, now that Kim thought about it. They had just spent four years apart and – looking back – Kim could now see the signs of what Tara had said Bonnie had gone through. She hadn't seen them before because it had been such a gradual transition.

The first sign had been the colossal boredom with the pitiful training sessions that she'd been reduced to, and then there was the dulled enthusiasm and cynicism with which she'd begun to view the world.

Before Kim could think further on the similarities between her relationship to Shego and Bonnie's relationship to her, something in the tone of Tara's voice caught her attention.

She looked into Tara's eyes as she realized what she was hearing. "You loved her," she stated simply.

Tara nodded unhesitatingly, "like the sister I don't have." She suddenly looked away, "but it hurt _so_ _much_ when I watched her fade away and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Kim sighed; _I certainly didn't expect any of this on my first mission. _"For what it's worth, Tara – I didn't mean for any of that to happen." She paused and thought about what it would have been like to watch Monique fade away like that. It wasn't a pleasant image, "I'm sorry."

Tara snorted, smiling bitterly up at Kim, "fat lotta good _that_ does, four years later." She met Kim's gaze with her own, strangely calm and serious. "But, it _does_ mean something to hear you say that," she slowly looked around the dark exhibit room in which they found themselves, "too bad that still leaves _me_ Bonnie-less," she finished in a mournfully.

Kim hesitated for a second before stepping away from the pillar she was leaning against and moving to stand face to face with Tara. "You know," she thought about the situation as it had been explained to her, "I don't think her spirit's completely dead, Tara; she was too strong to lose it just like that."

The shorter woman smiled wistfully, "that's why I always loved watching the two of you fight – it always made both of you seem so invincible, indomitable." She cocked her head to Kim, "you clearly _were_, but your confidence came from somewhere else, didn't it?" Tara glanced the way both of their partners had run and then brought her gaze back to the _S_ on Kim's collarbone, her eyes sparkling. "Shego?"

Kim nodded, but something was still bugging her, "what are you doing, Tara? I thought you hated me right now"

Tara looked down at her boots guiltily, "I did." She looked back up to meet Kim's curious smile with a regretful frown, "until I realized you had no idea what had happened to Bonnie. After seeing what your leaving did to her, I thought you'd left Middleton to hurt her, but _that_ wasn't really how it was, was it?"

Kim relaxed a little, finally understanding that Tara still considered her a friend, regardless of where everyone stood with respect to the law. "You know," she leaned back against the pillar once more, "there comes a time in everyone's life when you have to stop saving other people's dreams and start working towards your own."

Tara smirked a little knowingly, "so, is that why you're a villain now – you dreamed about joining the dark side?"

Kim smiled at the thought. "Not really – it seems like I never knew what my dream _was _until it came and bit me in the ass." At Tara's curious look, the baby villainess only smiled more widely, "I've only been a villain for about twenty hours now." She sobered a little, "but about Bonnie; I could pay her a visit every once in a while if it'll make you feel better."

Tara brightened instantly, seeming more like the young, energetic Tara that Kim had known in high school. "Would you? I know she'll say she doesn't appreciate it and that she doesn't need you, but it might be the only way for her to get back on her feet."

Kim just shrugged, smiling again. "Hey, if I can get her riled up like that, my job is as good as done."

Tara laughed, "Yeah, I guess that's true." She got a little more serious, "but if you want her to keep her Bonnie-ness after you're gone again, you should make it clear that you'll be back or you'll be visiting regularly." She frowned a little in thought as she tried to plot the rebirth of her best friend. "She never said it outright, but I could tell from the way she acted around you that that she looked up to you; you were like the older sister that everyone hates but envies at the same time. It's like she was always desperately trying to impress you; she craved your respect."

Kim was about to argue that Bonnie had always had her respect, but then shut her mouth when she realized it was a bald-faced lie. Bonnie had, in reality, rarely ever had Kim's respect, and that was because of their constant rivalry, Kim would look at Bonnie and see a spoiled, bratty, and greedy child, and she would treat her like it, when in fact all Bonnie had wanted was Kim's respect – the respect of her _equal_. Kim frowned at the very real crime she'd committed against Bonnie, "I guess we were all just one big, happy family at Middleton High."

"Yeah," Tara smiled, "a dysfunctional one." She looked at Kim more seriously all of a sudden. "She loved you, you know – uh," she stalled suddenly, realizing what she'd just said, "not romantically of course, but the same way I loved her – like a sister. She was grateful you were around because you always brought out the best in her, knowingly or not." She bounced her fist on her thigh absently, "come to think of it – I think the reason she crashed so badly was because you were gone, like, _overnight_ and she didn't know if she'd ever see you again, so she just didn't see the point in pushing herself anymore if you weren't going to be there to see it."

Kim nodded slowly to herself as another detail fell into place in the puzzle that was _Tara King_. "So, I'm guessing the reason you're such a jerk to Wade is because of me?"

Tara looked away again, smiling sheepishly, "he just talks so much about you, and it got on my nerves. Add to that the fact that I hated you for destroying my friend and the techno-whiz wasn't exactly my favourite person," she smiled faintly, "now Ron – I can deal with him because he doesn't dredge up the past as much – he's content to live almost completely in the moment, and he's also just a really nice guy." Her smile twisted just a little, "he's a little dorky at times, but he's _my_ dork all the same."

Kim echoed Tara's smile as she thought back to some of the good times she and Ron had shared – virtually none of which had occurred during their brief time as a couple. "Well, ease up on Wade for me, will you? He sounded like you can really get on his case."

Tara nodded. "I will," she motioned with her head to indicate that Kim should follow her. "We should probably go check on our partners – you know, make sure they haven't killed each other."

Kim followed without reply. _I really doubt that Ron could do very much to Shego, even with Monkey Kung Fu_, she thought. Side by side, the two of them walked in silence for a few moments before Tara's quiet, teasing voice pierced the comfortable stillness.

"So, you and Shego, huh?"

Kim shook her head, grinning ruefully. "She was right there in front of me for three years, Tara – why couldn't I see it?"

"You probably just weren't ready to face it," Tara's tone was very understanding, "neither of you were ready."

"Right," Kim brushed her hand along the smooth glass of a nearby display case as they moved past it, "So what's with your angry, bitter little girl façade?"

Tara simply shrugged, "what can I say – I grew up with Bonnie as my role model and idol – not the most conventional surrogate sister."

Silence descended between the two of them until an abrupt thought seemed to hit Tara and she stopped in her tracks. "Hey, Kim?" Her voice was tense, unsure.

"Yeah?" Kim flicked a speck of dust or something off her bare shoulder as she stopped and turned to face her old friend.

Tara hesitated, but then pushed forward, her mind radiating her quiet strength and determination. "Why did you turn villain?"

Kim frowned and felt a surge of steel-boned determination sweep through her mind as she thought about the reason for her change in allegiance – the reason that _didn't_ involve a certain green-skinned goddess, the people you're working for are hypocrites and Shego and I are going to destroy them."

Tara stiffened. "You're trying to take down Global Justice?" She stared at Kim in disbelief. "_Why_? I mean, I know about _Pisces_ and that they're breaking the law, but I've looked into them and I haven't seen anyone get hurt." The blonde looked away uncomfortably, "I know you were the world's greatest hero back in the day, but Global takes care of the criminals now, and they're doing a pretty fair job about it. Why do you have to disturb them? You're retired, and they're just trying to work and make a living."

Kim studied the slightly younger woman's nervous expression with something approaching disbelief. _Older and wiser, Tara,_ she thought, _but you've still got a nasty naïveté_. "Obviously, you didn't dig deep enough, Tara." She held herself back from slapping her own forehead. _You've got a lot to learn about Global Justice…_ When the blonde just looked at her curiously, Kim sighed frustratedly, "Did you know that they threaten anyone who doesn't offer payment for the crimes they solve?"

Tara scoffed, "of course I know." She even looked a little offended at Kim's question. "I'm their top agent after all – I have to know _everything_."

_Apparently not,_ Kim shook her head slowly. "So then I assume you know the reason Ron's stayed with Global Justice even after they've become everything he and I used to fight against?"

Tara hesitated this time, uncertainty clearly etched across her features; it was written in her narrowed eyes, her furrowed brow, her pursed lips… "I have to admit," she finally said, "I _did _find it weird that he stayed even after Global changed it's policies, but I thought he was just staying because he knows I need him, whether I say it or not."

_Well, you're partly right,_ Kim thought. "Global has threatened someone very close to Ron with life imprisonment on false charges if he doesn't keep his mouth shut and cooperate."

"What?" Tara's eyes were as wide as Kim had ever seen them, but there was no disbelief in them this time; she knew as well as anyone else that Kim was honest to a fault, a villain though she may now be. If the redhead said Global was into blackmail, it was most likely true, as unbelievable as it seemed for her employers – the apparently _Justice_-oriented powers-that-be – to be dabbling into shady dealings that they were _supposed _to abhor. "_Who?_"

The question was only whispered, as if the blonde woman wasn't really sure she wanted an answer, but there was an odd clarity and growing fury in her wide blue eyes that told Kim she already knew the answer to her own question.

_I really didn't want you to hear it like this, Tara, but I suppose it can't be helped…_

Giving a sort of mental shrug, Kim felt an apologetic expression spread across her face. "I don't know all the details, but they've got some kind of falsified evidence against Ron's girlfriend, so I guess that means you."

Tara stared at Kim for a long, silent, and extremely tense few moments, clearly torn between dismissing the outrageous accusation and accepting it. Kim felt sympathy swell within her for the short blonde, understanding _exactly_ the feelings that she was no doubt feeling – since she herself had experienced the exact same thing only hours earlier when Wade had told her about Global Justice's makeover. Betrayal was a difficult feeling to deal with, that was for sure.

Then, without warning, the growing fire of anger in Tara's eyes exploded out of her mind, flooding the immediate area with her incendiary fury and crashing through Kim's unprepared defences, nearly sending the redheaded telepath to the ground. She bared her teeth and let loose a truly inhuman scream of anger and pain even as Kim recovered as quickly as she could from the sudden outburst.

"Why those lying, scheming hypocrites," Tara whirled away from Kim and started sprinting across the marble-tiled floor in the direction that Shego and Ron had dashed, "I'll make them _pay_!"

_Holy Crap…_ Kim raised her barriers and stared after Tara for only a moment before giving chase. _Not good…way to be subtle about taking the scales off her eyes, Kim…_ She cast out her telepathy and made sure to take nothing more than a quick glimpse into the blonde's mind.

Tara was clearly upset, angry – Hell, _livid_ even – that much was clear to Kim without her telepathy; but Kim was shocked by the sheer power of the slight woman's full-blown rage. _She's going to kill someone_, Kim thought; it wasn't _really_ that difficult to see why, though.

Everyone Tara had put her trust in had left her – Kim, Bonnie, the rest of the cheerleaders… everyone but Ron. With no one left but her blond boyfriend to support her and with no real discernible purpose in her life any longer, she had put the last spark of her waning trust in the supposedly _altruistic_ and "judicial" law enforcement agency that Kim and Ron had occasionally worked with. She'd looked to crime-fighting to fulfill the purpose in her life and to fill the void in her heart where her high school friends – mostly Bonnie – had been until they all disappeared and, from the look of things, it had worked…

Until Kim tore the curtain away from Tara's eyes.

Now that Kim had just revealed the lies that Tara had been told, all the girl thought she had was Ron and a now-criminal organization that was trying to pass itself off s the Guardian of Peace and Justice. Now that Kim had uncovered the hypocrisy that Tara had unwittingly contributed to, the blonde suddenly found herself with _nothing_ to depend on, no truth or purpose in which to find her place.

It was definitely not a good place to be when you tried to make a decision concerning the safety of others.

Closing the distance between them, Kim threw herself forward, tackling the fleeing, enraged blonde from behind. "No, Tara!" The two of them landed in a heap and Kim was amazed when Tara recovered sooner than her and started struggling to throw the redhead off. Kim grunted in pain when Tara's flailing fist smacked drove into her cheekbone and she rolled off the shorter woman, reaching up to rub her cheek. _Oh, this is _so_ not what I want to spend the next hour doing…I've had enough of this…_ Kim vaulted back up to her feet and rolled her shoulder quickly.

Tara didn't even seem to realize that she was no longer pinned, because she continued struggling against nothing for a couple of seconds before she was able to climb up to her feet and turn to keep running…

Straight into Kim's waiting fist.

"Ow!" Tara staggered back, away from Kim, one hand reaching up to clutch at her own face.

Kim stood her ground, resisting the urge to stare at her blue-gloved hand in wonder; she'd barely felt that punch. Then, she remembered what she'd told Shego less than an hour earlier…when she'd thrown that punch, her gloves had ever-so-briefly returned to the solid heavy metal alloy state of the _Centurion Project_'s suit. Kim had just thrown a punch as hard as steel.

_Oops. Sorry, Tara_, Kim thought; _I just needed you to calm down a little._

Kim knew that her slightly underhanded tactic had worked when Tara's mind calmed almost as quickly as it had gone completely berserk. Lowering her hand from her face slowly, she met Kim's eyes with a cautious, thoughtful, and slightly fearful expression. "Why did you hit me?"

Kim crossed her arms, staying tense in case the blonde exploded again. "Are you calm enough to talk about this now?" She resisted the urge to apologise as she saw the angry red mark spreading across the entire left side of the shorter woman's face. _There wasn't any other way…_

Tara raised her fists, ready to fight if Kim moved toward her in any threatening kind of way. "What's to talk about? They _lied_ to me, Kim," she growled and took a step forward, closing the distance between her and Kim by a few feet. "They lied to me and I'm taking them _down_," she took another step, her eyes smouldering with her controlled but rapidly mounting anger. "You can either help me…" she hauled back with one hand, "or you can get out of my way." She lunged forward at Kim.

Sighing and almost rolling her eyes at the juvenile strike, Kim sidestepped Tara's incredibly flawed attack and simply grabbed the woman by both wrists, tightening her grip with bruising force and making Tara wince and momentarily forget her anger. "Now," carefully keeping her own frustration under tight control, Kim bent close to her captive and spoke directly into her ear, "are you ready to listen?"

The blonde whimpered softly as Kim's grip tightened on her wrist, pressing the two long-bones of her lower arm closer together in an unnatural and painful way, but then quickly nodded. "Alright, Kim," she relented, "I'll listen."

"Good girl," Kim released Tara, giving her a slight shove towards a hard stone bench that stood nearby, "have a seat," she continued gruffly.

She did so, looking up at Kim with wide eyes as she rubbed her stinging wrists, her mind simmering with her forcibly subdued fury. "You want to tell me to forget about it," she whispered through clenched teeth, "to knuckle under, give in – sell out to a bunch of scheming crooks who have no honour."

"No," Kim replied honestly, "no I don't." She sat down beside Tara and turned to face her head on. "I just want you to think this through before you go rushing off half-cocked on some kind of vendetta." She paused until she was sure that Tara was listening seriously. "I should tell you that I've already talked to Wade, and I know at least some of what's going on, but Shego and I will need time to figure out the whole picture." She reached out and laid one soft "leather" gloved hand on the suddenly quiet blonde's shoulder. "What I'm asking you to do is _wait._"

Tara looked up sharply, confusion in her eyes, "Wait?"

Kim nodded reassuringly, "Wade promised me that he would have my family covered so I could focus on working to bring down Global Justice and _Pisces_." She squeezed Tara's shoulder, trying to offer some form of comfort. "Give me a chance to talk to him and get some kind of protection for anyone that Global could use to blackmail you. It'll take a while because there are only certain times I can talk to him." She stood from the bench and moved to crouch down in front of Tara, her eyes level with the seated woman's blue ones. "I'll talk to him as soon as I can, Tara, and I'll get him to tell you and Ron where and when you can meet us, but until then, you'll have to play along with Global Justice's people."

_I hope you're up to this, Tara_, Kim thought worriedly, thinking of how many ways this deal could go – many of which were _very_ bad.

Tara nodded carefully, "okay – hold on," her eyes widened and she stared openly at Kim. "You want Ron and me to _join_ you and Shego?"

Kim smiled again, "at least at first because – I hate to be the one to break this to you, Tara, but you're not cut out to fight a group like Global Justice – not without some training or guidance at least." She watched Tara's shoulders slump as that truth hit home, and she decided to confront her on this topic right here, right now. "Tara," she started carefully, "I don't get it; you're clearly not a fighter, so why _are_ you here?"

Tara shrugged and smiled shyly, "when everyone left Middleton, Ron was all I had and he seemed bummed at having retired from crime-fighting with you. Then, one day a couple months after you left, some Global Justice agents came to his house and asked if he'd be interested in signing on full-time with them. He jumped at the idea, but didn't want any of the partners they offered him so he came to me." She chuckled for a second at the memory and Kim could sense a small amount of sadness in Tara's mind as she thought about simpler, happier times.

Shaking off her chuckles, Tara went on smoothly, "I figured, 'why the Hell not' – I mean, it could be fun. So, I leapt at the chance and before I knew it, I was being trained by the best GJ had."

Kim couldn't stop a short, choked-off laugh from escaping her lips. _Yeah, right!_ "Then you haven't learned as well as you should have, Tara. I've seen the best GJ had to offer and while I could still beat the tar out of any ten of them at once, they'd still give me far more of a workout than you have so far." Kim moved back up to sit beside her very new ally. "How did they ever let you out of the training camp?"

Tara grinned, "I guess luck was just in my favour." She shrugged innocently, "they said they wanted to get Ron back out in the public eye as soon as possible and since he refused to work with anyone else – well, you know…" she trailed off quietly and a guilty smile crossed her fair, young features, "they're still training me to get to your level – or as close to your level as any human could hope to be." She winked playfully, even as a weak scowl twisted her lips into a distantly attractive pout, "I've never been overly interested in their training drills though, so I've stuck with my own style," she laughed self-deprecatingly, "my own pathetic, pathetic style."

Kim echoed the blonde's laugh but reached out to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly, "don't put yourself down like that, Tara; even Shego saw that you've got quite a bit of potential." She smirked, "you just need the right motivation."

Tara narrowed her eyes cautiously, "like what?"

Kim's lopsided smile took on an almost evil aura. _Oh, I've got the perfect motivator for you, Tara_, she thought, "I'm altering our deal," at Tara's unhappy look, the redhead squeezed her shoulder again. "Don't worry – I'm talking to Wad about your family and anyone else regardless, but _your_ part in this play is still another matter entirely."

Tara let out a relieved sigh, but then she shot Kim a dubious look as her words sank in. "What are you saying?"

Kim sighed and glanced off towards where she knew Shego and Ron were. _Was that a green flash of light?_ "Tara," she turned back to her own unlikely student, "you'd better get interested in what your instructors are trying to teach you, because if you can't even hold your own against _Ron_ by the time everything's ready for you to disappear from GJ's roster, neither of you are leaving Global – Ron because we can't take him without you because of the whole blackmail thing, and you because we aren't babysitters. You have to be able to take care of yourself when you need to."

Tara nodded her understanding, "now _that's_ motivating," she remarked dryly, "I don't want to be around those damned sneaks any longer than I have to be." She grinned up at Kim and nudged her with her elbow. "_This_ is fun isn't it? It's just like being on the Cheer squad again."

Kim laughed loudly, "Just treat it like that and you'll be fine," she patted Tara on the knee.

Tara sobered. "Okay," she nodded slowly to herself, "how much time do I have?"

Kim shrugged, "as much as you need, but if you're interested in a sooner than later kind of time, given the – um – sporadic nature of my communication line to Wade, I'd say it'll take a month or two at the very least to get some kind of protection in place for your family."

"What?" Tara's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Are you freakin' kidding me?" She stared at Kim in disbelief, "are you telling me I have to act like nothing's wrong for _months_?" Her shoulder's slumped, "I'm not an actress, Kim," she protested in a weak, suddenly quiet voice, "I can't act like that for so long."

Kim nodded slowly; _ah yes – that age-old question_, she thought._ How does one play their role convincingly enough for the audience?_ "I can offer you only one piece of advice, Tara," Kim paused to draw on what she'd learned in the last four years at her theatre classes in Concordia. "Don't think," she began finally, "don't stop to think your every action through and no one will know that you've been told what Global's real agenda is." This of course, wasn't a lesson that they taught in Kim's classes; it was something that had to be learned on the stage – and very quickly.

When standing in the spotlight before an audience, the actresses who choked most often were the ones who over thought their actions on stage because then they hesitated and the illusion of their character was completely shattered. To play her part most convincingly, all an actress needed was to _know_ her character – know everything about it. Because, once she had her lines and notes memorized, if she stopped thinking, she would _become_ her character, instinctively playing out the part that she had studied until her eyes were almost bleeding. _That_ was how Kim had risen to the top few percent of her program; by knowing the true path to flawless acting.

"You've been doing this for three years or more, Tara," Kim rubbed the blonde's shoulder comfortingly, "you've been working under Global Justice's illusion for a long time now; you've played this part for long enough to know everything you need, so you don't need to do anything more than let your worries go." Kim stood from the bench and moved to stand over her new ally. "Don't think, Tara, and you'll do just fine."

Tara nodded, a focused look of determination etched into her features. "I'll remember that."

"If you two are quite finished, I think the boy wonder here could use some medical attention."

Kim and Tara both looked up to see Shego come striding into sight, dragging a dazed or unconscious – but definitely bound – Ron Stoppable behind her. The first thing Kim did was look at her partner's hands, searching for the green glow that would tell her that the taller woman was burning through the blond man's leg. There was no glow.

'I see you switched your gloves again, Shego,' Kim projected silently.

Shego chuckled and dumped Ron's unmoving body at Tara's feet. "I didn't think you wanted me to immolate your boyfriend, _Brat_." She turned a glare on Kim, 'we,' she began threateningly, 'are going to have to have a good, long talk about your free use of your telepathy, Kim,' Shego thought sourly, 'as soon as we're safely away from the museum and my all-time favourite brat.'

Kim sighed quietly. 'Come on, Shego – this could give us a way to speak to each other that GJ bugs can't hear.'

'Very true,' Shego agreed reluctantly, nodding minutely, 'but be that as it may, we're still going to have that talk – it's still so new to me; I don't know how I feel about it yet.'

'Fair enough,' Kim turned back to Tara, smiling thinly. _Shego_ _trusts you_, she tried to reassure herself; _you just took her by surprise – that's all._ "Okay, Tara – there's only one more thing we have to deal with before we part ways."

Tara stood suddenly, shooting a dirty look at Shego after looking Ron over for any injuries. "So, I'm supposed to just let _her_," she gestured angrily at Shego, "Leave with you when she's just beaten the shit out of my partner?"

Shego bristled at the accusation. "Look, _Brat_," she stepped forward and stabbed a gloved finger into the amateur heroine's chest. "I _was_ going to just tie him up and leave him conscious until he fucking _bit_ me!" She rubbed her left wrist gingerly, scowling down at the bruised body on the floor, "you should be thanking me that I didn't use my plasma on him because I _really_ had to hold back on him; I can't say that my house got the same courtesy from you."

Kim decided to step in before things got out of hand. "Tara, she's with me so yes, I _do_ expect you to let us leave – both of us…but not before you give me any audio or video recording bugs you and Ron are carrying."

Tara nodded slowly and reached down to fiddle with the still-dimly glowing bracelet around her right wrist. "All we have is my _Centurion_ suit's recording package; it's used for post mission debriefings and it's been running ever since I activated the bracelet." She hesitated uncertainly, "but I can't deactivate it and give it to you without raising some serious flags back at HQ."

Kim glanced down at the bronze-shining band around Tara's wrist. "What are you talking about?"

Tara dropped her hands away from each other to hang limply at her sides. "Global Justice's people down in the tech labs added some programming into every agent's suit that's supposed to help prioritize any calls for reinforcements." Tara raised her right arm so Kim could clearly see the dully glowing bracelet on her wrist. "Every time I deploy the suit or remove the bracelet, HQ is notified within minutes, and they'll start asking me questions as soon as I report in." She shook her head slowly as her arm returned to its place at her side. "If you want me to try to blend in and act normal with GJ, you're going to have to let me walk away with this bracelet."

"Not going to happen." Kim straightened up slowly, crossing her arms. "Tara – we can't afford to let anyone at Global see or hear what's been said tonight." She smirked, "but what if I told you I could get that bracelet off your arm without Global asking you any questions that could reveal what you know about them?"

Tara narrowed her eyes at the more confident woman's superior attitude, "then I think I'd ask how you managed to come by this knowledge."

Kim just held up her dark blue gloved hands, "Wade," she replied simply.

Tilting her head curiously, Tara smiled faintly after a moment, "you know what, Kim? That boy really _is_ impressive when you don't have a reason to hate him or be annoyed by him."

The redhead grinned, "There, see? Now ease up a little on him, alright?" Kim lowered her hands back to hang at her side and glanced quickly at Shego. She noticed that her partner was not so gradually losing her patience with their talking as if they didn't have a care in the world. "But you know," she smiled and gestured calmly to the pale-skinned woman, "I think my friend here's getting tired of this, so why don't you activate your suit and we can be on our way?"

Tara nodded and with one quick, worried glance to Ron's unconscious form, stepped away and moved the fingers of her left hand to press lightly on her yellow-glimmering bracelet. "Armour – activate," she said into the calm silence, "but I hope," she smirked at Kim, her arrogant, superior mask sliding effortlessly back into place, "I hope you don't expect me to let you take my bracelet easily; you'll have to work _real_ hard for it." Her smile widened as the yellow band around her wrist expanded to encase everything below her neck in clean, dark yellow armour. Once that was done, Kim took a few seconds to look her newest ally over.

Wade was right about the modifications that had been made to create the second model of the _Centurion Project_. While the full suit was still easily recognizable and distinctly armour-ish in appearance, Tara's cybertronic body armour was smaller and lighter by far than the armour that Kim had been trapped in several years earlier. The massive and obvious harshly-coloured alloy plating was gone, replaced with a comparatively thinner, lighter, and seamless neck-to-foot covering that was reminiscent of Shego's green-and-black bodysuit; the only difference, of course, was that Tara's suit was clearly not composed of any kind of clothing-like material. There wasn't any kind of material mimicry program in Tara's _CP_ suit; her armour was clearly made of some kind of metal alloy – but it was also light and thin…easy to move around in.

Kim glanced down at her own gloved hands as she thought about Wade's give to her. There had actually been a hidden motive for her choosing the leather gloves like she did. There had been an altogether too long list of materials that she could have programmed her suit to emulate, but Kim's mind had been made up as soon as she'd read the word "leather" on her VR visor's display. If Kim ever deployed the full suit, the world would see her clad in what appeared to be – and felt like – clean, skin-tight, and smooth leather, coloured in patches of blue and a shade that she had unhesitatingly labelled as "Shego-green" – a colour that was more identical to her partner's eyes than to the older villainess' suit or skin colour, resulting in a dark, dark green that complemented her chosen equally dark blue _very nicely_.

Oh yeah, Kim possible definitely had it bad for a certain green-skinned villainous mentor and newfound almost-lover.

There was just something about the feel of leather that attracted her – the warmth, the smooth texture; it made Kim feel like she knew Shego looked: dangerous, wild, and – dare she say it – _sexy_?

_But enough of that_, she thought, noticing that a band around her left wrist had started to glow a dull blue. Just like Wade had promised, her suit had detected that Tara's armour was online and Kim's anti-_CP_ microburst emitters had now been activated.

_Perfect._

"Are you ready to fight me now, Kim?" Tara's stance wasn't quite as flawed as before, but Kim could still see several places where she could strike and easily brush by the blonde's weak defence. _Oh, this is going to be so easy_, Kim thought, dropping into a rough aggressive pose that combined a basic-but-easily-reinforced defence with a sharper, more powerful offence.

Kim frowned only slightly. "Tara," she quickly dissected her opponent's stance – her footing, the uneven distribution of her weight, _leaning back too far_, and the intense but unfocused fire in her eyes…_power without direction…_ "You don't honestly think you can win this, do you?" Kim gestured at the blonde's abysmal style, "You're not leaving this museum with that suit."

Tara actually chuckled quietly at the redhead's words, oh, I know there's no way in Hell that I could ever beat _you_, Kim – but I told you, you'll have to fight me and work to earn my bracelet." She waved with one hand, motioning for Kim to attack. "I'm ready for you."

"Are you?" Kim lunged.

Just as the redhead drew close to the clearly outclassed blonde, she felt a jolt of fear explode out of Shego's mind, 'Kim – look out!'

Kim's head was suddenly filled with a vision of claws – long, sharp claws that were somehow associated with pain and the woman Shego so irritatingly referred to as, "Brat", and she reacted without thinking.

Twisting suddenly, Kim dropped to the ground in a roll just as Tara's hands swung out, long metal spikes protruding from her armoured forearms as her hands swept through the space where Kim's shoulders would have been without that warning.

'Thanks, Shego,' Kim projected, climbing to her feet as Tara stepped back. "Interesting technique," she commented dryly, wincing at the thought of what those blades could have done to her shoulders. "I'm going to go ahead and guess that those are a modification that Wade _didn't_ design."

Tara smiled and held her hands up, the long, backwards-curved, razor-edged blades gleaming in the dim light. "One of the perks that comes with working with unscrupulous war mongers like Global Justice is cool toys, also known as personalized armour; I picked the blade-claws but there are other things I could add." She settled back into her unbalanced defensive stance, "Care to try again?"

Kim considered it. It didn't _seem_ like Tara had any more tricks up her sleeve, but she knew to keep her eyes open this time. 'Is it safe, Shego?' She glanced back quickly to see her partner looking on warily.

Shego smirked suddenly, 'about as safe as picking a fight with a razor blade, Kimmie – but don't worry your pretty little self; the Brat might have claws, but she's still no better a fighter than you are. And I don't remember if she has any other surprises for you…probably not.'

Kim dove in again, 'I'm still going to keep my eyes on her,' she promised as she easily moved around Tara's predictable block. 'Man, she's slow…' she commented as she drew back her left fist and felt the spark of amazement at her speed arc through Tara's mind, freezing her in place for the split second Kim needed.

There was a deafening clang of metal on metal as Kim's instantly hardened glove slammed into Tara's armoured ribcage, knocking the smaller blonde a metre or two to one side. Tara stumbled over her own feet, threatening to topple over backwards from the force of Kim's punch, but she recovered by turning her fall into a back handspring and landing back on her feet.

'She's not really that bad,' Shego thought to Kim, 'she'll just never be in _our_ class.'

'True,' Kim watched the wide, shallow dent she'd made in Tara's armour smooth over as the _CP_ suit repaired the damage. 'Like you said – she's got the potential; she could be great,' she dodged another blade-claw swing but restrained herself from attacking, 'I can see that much from her recovery just now, and her focus; she just needs more training…'

"I don't get it," Tara commented, punching through air again and breaking into Shego and Kim's private commentary on the blonde's skills, or lack thereof. "My suit's completely active so how come you're still moving too fast for me to hit?" She tried a low kick, which Kim stepped on lightly to unbalance the blonde further. "You don't have anything to help you," Tara reeled back from Kim's countering spin-kick – it was something Shego could have avoided blindfolded but Tara was something else entirely.

Kim's kick sent Tara sailing through a doorway into another large room – one that had staircases at both ends. She glanced at Shego again as Tara landed on her ass with a scrape, skidding to a stop somewhere out of sight from where they stood, '_Potential_, eh, Shego?'

'It's there,' Shego thought, smirking gleefully, '…somewhere.'

"Okay," Kim followed the path Tara's body had taken to find the blonde still lying on her side, panting wearily. "Tired already, Tara?" Kim stepped a few paces away from her opponent's lightly trembling form. "This is why you'll have to stick with me and Shego when we've gotten everything set up and you're out from under GJ's thumb." She took the defensive pose this time. 'Let's see how your offence is, Tara…'

'It's not good,' Shego replied.

Tara climbed to her feet slowly, "How," she panted, "how are you beating me without your suit?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Tara, the _Centurion_ armour doesn't fight for you – it's supposed to help you, augment your natural abilities." She motioned for Tara to come at her with her best shot.

"What you've got to realize," Kim kept speaking even as she ducked under Tara's first wild swing, backing up a little, "what you've got to realize," she caught the blonde's second punch in one hand and pulled, using her grip to spin around and pin Tara up against the nearest wall, twisting her left arm around so her forearm was pressed hard against the shorter woman's throat, greatly diminishing her capacity to breathe, "is that the _Centurion Project_ can't improve what you don't have."

Before the smaller woman could even begin to struggle against her, Kim reached down with her right hand and pressed her palm flat against her opponent's amber armour-covered abs, silently counting down.

Right on cue, a red burst of energy passed from Kim to Tara, rippling outward from the blonde's abdomen and sweeping across her entire suit like a wave before vanishing altogether. Tara glanced around quickly, obviously confused as Kim simply back-flipped away to land crouched carefully atop the railing of the staircase just to Tara's right.

Cautiously climbing to her feet, Tara stared down curiously at her undamaged armour. "Hey, Kim," she grinned up at the precariously perched redhead, "I think your pocket-genius made a mistake; my armour's unaffected." She adopted a lazy defensive stance, as if she was completely confident that Kim couldn't do anything to her now that the former heroine's secret weapon turned out to be a bust. "Well," she waved to Kim, who remained perched on the stairway railing, blue-gloved hands grasping the bar between her feet, "what are you waiting for – you've gotta attack me if you want to take my bracelet from me."

Kim tilted her head to one side as she glanced over at Shego; the pale-skinned thief was clenching and unclenching her now-glowing, uncovered fists, growing more restless by the second as she waited for her partner to say the word. It was poor form to attack without warning, after all. "Actually, Tara," Kim turned her own confident smirk on the short blonde. "I've done _my_ part," she lifted her blue-gloved hands, her balance on the stair railing not even wavering a single degree. "Wade's super weapon just reprogrammed your armour to repair itself by draining energy from your body."

Tara gasped and then looked back at Shego, who had calmed just a little as she realized that her time was drawing near. "You wouldn't," the blue-eyed girl breathed, "you'll kill me!" She backed away, starting to panic, "I thought I could trust you…"

Kim didn't move, knowing that any advance in the blonde's direction would only serve to make her anxiety attack even worse. "You _can_ trust us, Tara," she reassured gently. "Don't worry – the suit's only going to draw enough power to knock you out and then the armour will just collapse and deactivate."

Tara relaxed, breathing a soft sigh of relief as she turned to face Shego, "Okay, I just hope Wade knows what he's doing."

Kim smiled, "he hasn't steered me wrong yet." Privately to Shego, Kim added an afterthought, 'although, knowing Wade's practices and knowing just how badly a weapon like this could backfire, I'm willing to bet he tested the shit out of his emitters before he gave them to me.'

A rough growl came from Shego, but her tiny, near-invisible smirk at Kim's thought was clear enough for Kim. "Can I do this already?"

Tara nodded silently and closed her eyes tightly. "Promise you'll talk to Wade?"

Kim grinned. _Your family isn't the only thing I need to talk to him about. Most important? Yes, but not only._ "I promised I would, Tara."

The blonde sighed softly, "Okay," a moment passed before she nodded, "hit me."

"Finally," Shego charged up and threw a plasma blast at the passive heroine, tossing a similar projectile from her other hand right after. "I thought you two would never stop talking."

The two burning green balls of plasma energy slammed into Tara's gut, engulfing her lower torso momentarily before dispersing and revealing two identical, shallow craters in Tara's armour. After a moment, during which all three women stared at the glass-shiny wounds that fortunately hadn't gone completely through the gleaming dark gold metal, an odd blue light filled the shallow cuts in Tara's suit and they began to shrink, accompanied by a short, sudden gasp from its wearer as it sapped her body of strength.

Without a word, Tara fell back against the wall and slid down to lie on her side on the marble floor, groaning softly as the two burns in her armour healed themselves over only for the protective suit to collapse on itself a second later, shrinking back into a bracelet within moments and loosening enough for Kim to walk over and slip it off the now unconscious girl's wrist. Before she pulled away, Kim rested one hand on Tara's chest, feeling it rise and fall at a slow, regular pace. _She should be fine,_ she thought.

Nodding her satisfaction, Kim stood and pocketed her newly acquired _CP_ bracelet. "She'll be fine," she replied to Shego's mildly worried expression. "She'll probably just need a lot of rest after she wakes up."

Shego shrugged as she slipped her almleti-leather gloves back on, and her tenseness vanished as if it had never existed, "so we just got her some sick days. You know," she grinned and took a few steps closer to the prone body, "she should really pay us for helping like that – she got any cash on her?"

Kim couldn't help but smile at that, "what – breaking into the museum, stealing your stupid armband, and beating up Ron aren't enough for you? Do you have to stoop to petty theft?"

Shego shook her head slowly, "You're no fun – you know that?" She turned away from Tara's unconscious body.

Grinning deviously, Kim pounced on Shego, driving her back against the stairway railing, "_that_," she gently – teasingly – drew one finger against the hollow of the taller woman's throat, "would depend on what kind of _fun_ you're looking for." Her voice was soft enough that only Shego would be able to hear, but it still held as much power as a tiger's cry as she purred the words into her partner's ear.

Shego sighed quietly – frustratedly –, carefully pushing Kim away from her. "Your kind of fun is looking better every second, Princess, but _we_ should really get out of here first."

Kim glanced around at the dark room around them and laughed softly, "Yeah – this isn't the most romantic of settings, is it?" She stepped away from Shego and started walking away. "So, are we leaving the same way we came in?"

Shego jogged to catch up to her, "It's bad luck to do otherwise, Kimmie." Once she had drawn alongside Kim, she grew serious as she glanced sidelong at the redhead. "I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to connect with Stoppable." She looked away guiltily, thinking of the unconscious body they'd left in the other room, "but like I said –."

"I know, I know," Kim waved Shego's concerns away, laying one arm across her partner's shoulder in a sideways hug, tightening her grip momentarily as she tried to convey comforting feelings through the contact. "All bets were off as soon as he bit you." She smiled reassuringly as they reached the administrative offices and passed by the men's room where they'd found toilet-boy, "I can't blame you for losing control when Ron let his primal instincts get the better of him." She led the way into the office with the still-open window, "personally, I'm impressed you didn't break any of his bones for biting you." Kim motioned for her pale-skinned partner to exit first.

Shego placed one foot on the ledge and got ready to lift herself out of the room, scowling at a sudden thought.

"I _hate_ Monkey Kung Fu."

* * *

Sorry about the long gap between updates. You know…exams…and other stories that have suddenly grabbed my interest.

Next time: The aftermath of the museum heist. Hiding out after the robbery, trying to figure out wtf this armband is, etc…

Tootles!


	13. Shego's got the Blues Part 1

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Thirteenth – Shego's got the Blues – Part One.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. Okay, seriously, now. If you've made it this far in the story, **YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS! **Stop reading if a same-sex pairing offends you. Go ahead and flame me, but I've got this nifty new fire proof jacket that I've been dying to test out.

**Rating:** Let's say…PG-15.

**Spoilers:** Wait and see…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** After a quick, and easily decided fight between Tara and Kim, our lovely villainii made their way out of the museum, with no clear goal in mind other than to flee the scene of the Heist. And Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

_**Chapter XIII**_

It didn't take long for Kim and Shego to get back to the taller woman's bike – it was only parked a block or two away, after all.

"So, where are we going now, Shego?" Kim took her helmet when her partner handed it to her, "and did you remember to grab your armband?" She added that last jab with the tiniest smirk.

Shego laughed quietly at Kim's joking question, shifting to swing her special backpack out in front of her. "C'mon, what do you take me for?" She zipped open the largest pocket and pulled it open to show Kim a long, night-black metal cylinder that appeared to shimmer under the glare of the single streetlamp that reached them. "And look," she smirked, "it's even in my colour."

Smiling, Kim reached into the bag and pulled out the stolen object. "Now, what on Earth could be so special about this thing?" She gave the artefact a quick once-over before slipping it back into Shego's bag. There was a line of writing along one side of the armband, engraved deeply into the glossy-finished metal. At first glance, it might have been Latin, but Kim had a sneaking suspicion that the script was far more than it seemed; otherwise, the scientists wouldn't have been so stumped by the thing.

"Personally," Shego zipped the bag shut and handed it off for Kim to hold onto while she could switch her leather gloves for a less…dangerous pair so she could drive her _Ghost_. Her plasma couldn't damage her bike, but Shego just felt better wearing her leather-and-almleti pair. "I don't have a clue – all I care about it is that I know I can touch it. And that's good enough for me; we can figure out the rest later." She mounted the bike and started up the over-powered engine. "Let's get out of here, Kimmie."

Kim slipped her helmet on and climbed onto the machine, taking her place behind her partner and wrapping her arms around her waist without hesitating. "So," she started, raising her voice to be heard over the roar, "back to Hudson?"

"Not this time, Princess," Shego replied, rolling the bike out of the alley and starting off down the street. "I think it's time I brought you to visit one of my old haunts." She glanced around casually, but saw nothing unusual about the cars around them in the downtown city street. "No one will find us there, and we might even get a chance to pick up a few things before coming topside." _Just wait until you see this place, Princess; it's the greatest Lair in the world and it'll be completely deserted. There'll be no one to interrupt us tonight, Kim._ Shego gunned the engine as soon as they were out on the freeway, deftly weaving around the scattered cars that were still out at this late hour. "It's the one piece of property that Drakken owns that you've never been to."

Kim squeezed Shego just a little tighter, "the Montreal Lair."

Shego nodded without turning, "it's the most advanced setup that Dr D ever created, and you finally get to break into it – and with someone truly qualified to give you the grand tour, no less."

"Spankin'," Kim replied, loosening her hold on Shego's waist. "How long until we get there?"

Shego checked their surroundings, "half-an-hour – give or take." She turned the _Ghost_ onto an access ramp of the highway. "What – you in a rush?" She heard the amused, sarcastic tone in her voice.

Kim's helmet bumped lightly against Shego's shoulder in response before she replied, "punch it, Shego."

"My pleasure." Shego grinned behind her black faceplate. _As you wish, Princess…_ she cranked her bike forward and pushed the sleek machine to its limits. _We'll get there, Kimmie – don't you worry…_

* * *

"Well, _this_ was a surprise."

Shego looked up at the sarcastic remark, "hey, Kimmie?"

Kim's head turned down from her staring match with the brightly starlit sky above them. "Yeah?"

It was difficult for Shego to keep a content smile off her face at the sight that she beheld, but she managed. "Shut it," she turned back to glaring at the solid metal-plated door that stood in front of her, barring her way.

Kim shrugged and returned to her silent contemplation of the star-spangled velvet curtain that hung far above them, giving Shego the chance to covertly shoot a glance behind her to take in the breath-taking image.

Kim was lounging back against the side of the building Shego had led them to, seated on a raised brick wall that stood on one side of the sunken stairway, which in turn led down to the solid basement-style door that Shego now stood at. Added to the image of casual ease were the emotions that wafted off the redhead for Shego to sample at her leisure. It was a heady mixture of happiness, contentment, affection, and the slightest hint of excitement – almost like a dash of lily-chocolate syrup to top everything off – that promised to be a truly incredible bouquet of scent-flavours if Shego simply reached out to lose herself in the near-irresistible Kimmie-vibes.

And the sight of Kim's body in that pose wasn't all that bad either.

Kim spoke after a moment, her gaze still trained on the stars above, "why don't you just blast the door down if it's locked you out?"

Shego sighed frustratedly – but not at the spoken question. _God,_ she fumed; _I'd hoped I'd never have to see that bastard again – of course fate throws him at me again…_ Shego frowned.

Kim must have sensed the furious turn of her thoughts because Shego's subtle and pleasant Kimmie-buffet quickly transformed into a harsh and chaotic collection of hurt and sour emotions. _God Dammit!_

"I'm sorry," Kim whispered, clearly seeking to quell her partner's sudden anger, even though it was obvious she didn't know that the cause wasn't her.

"No," Shego denied hurriedly, "don't – I'm not pissed at you for asking."

Kim tilted her head at Shego as she gazed down from her perch on the brick wall, the moonlight shining down and making her face glow softly with an unearthly light. "Then…" she trailed off uncertainly, "…what?"

The black-wigged woman reached out and tapped the door with one of her hands. "This door's been refitted – recently – with almleti plating." She frowned again, "I'm figuring the door isn't completely made of almleti alloy because he's too cheap to do that, but there's probably a thick enough layer on this side to make my plasma worthless." Shego turned and leaned casually against the solid door, "now," she muttered, slipping one of her gloves off to free the unnatural – but mesmerizing – green aura that always surrounded her hands. "We both know that there's only one man who knows about this alloy – and a snivelling coward he may be, but he would never give that secret up."

Kim's eyes narrowed and an evil-looking grin formed on her face. "Well," she effortlessly dropped off the wall to land on the lower landing beside Shego, "I guess he must really be scared if he Shego-proofed his Lair."

"Hey," Shego shot a quick look at her partner. "I never said it was Shego-proof." She turned back to the gleaming silver door. "At best, it's Shego-resistant." She reached out one hand to quickly melt the cover plate off the door controls, "see? Plasma will never be my only talent – not by a long shot."

Kim snorted and put her hand on Shego's shoulder, stopping her before she could make a complete mess out of the door's circuits in her attempt to hotwire the thing. "Hold on," she spoke in a low voice. "There's another way, Shego."

The pale green woman narrowed her eyes at the redhead. _What is she going on about?_ "Didn't you hear what I just said, Kim? I can't –."_ Oh…this I've got to see._ A wide grin spread across her face, lighting her eyes up with a gleeful glow. "Well," she purred in a silky voice, "why didn't you say so, Kimmie? Be my guest." She stepped back from the door. "Let's see some of that magic."

The younger woman smiled thinly as she reached out her left hand and trailed it along the smooth, cool metal surface of the door, tracing out a large, roughly ovoid shape as she concentrated on her own powers.

Shego was amazed as she stood and watched Kim's hand moving along the door, leaving behind a solid, roughly ovoid sheet of ice. "So," she spoke casually as Kim pulled her hand away from the transformed door, "can I smash it now?"

Kim nodded, her smile still in place – and wider, if Shego was any judge. "It isn't almleti-plated anymore, so go ahead."

Shego raised her hands, preparing to charge up a large plasma bolt. "And you're not worried Drakken might have seen that little display?"

The younger villainess shrugged, "not really." She raised her eyebrows fractionally at Shego. "Wade's given me a breakdown of Drakken's security before – in other Lairs –, and there's never any camera footage of the front door. There's coverage inside and on the approach to the door, but never at the door itself." She motioned to the locked and partially iced door, "shall we? I'd like to have a little chat with your ex-boss." Her eyes hardened.

Shego laughed quietly and brought her un-gloved hand to bear. _Oh,_ she thought;_ I'll bet you would…_ "Whatever you say, Princess." She charged up and held her hands over her head even as she began backing away from the Lair's entrance, moving a few steps up the stairs to street-level. "Better back away there, Kimmie; I wouldn't want your pretty self to get burned."

"You're all heart," nevertheless, Kim did as she was told.

"Purely self-interest," the pale woman countered, "I have plans for you later."

"Sounds like fun." A mischievous grin lit up her fair features.

"Oh, it will be."

Shego finally brought her hands down, releasing a plasma blast the size of a chair straight into the formerly almleti-shielded door, slamming her cursed power into the barrier with the force of a pile driver and instantly flash-vaporizing the thin layer of ice – which had until a very short time ago been an obstacle impenetrable to the great Shego – as well as melting a sizeable portion of the ordinary steel plating of the door beyond the ice. On contact, there was a brilliant green explosion of light that had an effect very similar to a flash-bang grenade. Shego was prepared for it and turned her head away at the last instant.

Kim, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

The redhead's shock tore through Shego's mind, overwhelming her senses for the most brief of seconds, but when it was all over and the older of the two women could finally think straight once more, she opened her eyes to find her Kimmie collapsed on the steps with her eyes wide and blinking rapidly, but focusing on nothing. _Aw_, Shego thought, mildly amused as she quickly pulled her gloves back on; _poor Kimmie…_

"Hey, Princess," Shego bent down and helped her partner climb to her feet slowly, "how are you doing?"

Kim groaned and pressed the heel of her hand into her right temple, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm surviving on the thoughts of how I'm going to get revenge from you as soon as I can see again.

Shego smirked approvingly. "Well, hold that thought, Kimmie – we've got to fumigate first." She stepped through the rapidly cooling hole she'd just blown into the lair's more covert entrance, carefully leading her blind heroine behind her. "Then, we can see about your revenge."

Kim's eyes widened despite the fact that she couldn't see anything at the moment. "Fumigate?" Her voice dropped to a whisper as they walked through the dark and quiet hallways of Dr Drakken's lair. "You have an infestation here?"

Shego grinned even more widely. "Well – yeah, I suppose we do have an infestation." She let out a quiet chuckle. "There's only one of them, but I'm sure you can understand that one is more than enough to spoil the atmosphere of any home. And I've taken quite a liking to this particular Lair, so I'd like to be able to spend some quiet, quality time here with you every once in a while, but that won't be possible if _he_ sticks around." Shego rested an arm across Kim's shoulders as she continued to lead her through the twisting corridors, finding her way by memory.

The redhead at Shego's side smiled knowingly, "if it's short, blue, and has a tendency to come up with really bad ideas, then I'm all for doing a little pest control."

Shego gave her partner's shoulders a squeeze. "That's good, but are you looking for extermination or capture?"

Kim was silent for a few seconds as she thought about that question. "Part of me really wants to make him suffer for what he did to you, but the rest says I have to let him live because we don't have the right to make that kind of decision." She smirked just a little more sinisterly than Shego would have expected, "on the other hand…I can't say I have any objections to throwing him back into prison more violently than usual."

Shego couldn't help but laugh at that one. "Hey, alright then – let's break out some bug spray."

Kim nodded and leaned into Shego's side more comfortably, "Do we have to? I think I'd rather just stay like this and walk around with you."

Shego stopped walking and reached out to turn the knob of an unimpressive door, revealing a dark room beyond. "Come here, Kim." She pulled her partner into the room and closed the door behind her with a soft click.

"Where are we," Kim asked after a moment of silence, "a broom closet?"

"No," Shego turned the lights on as soon as she was sure the door was locked, "_this_ is one of five security outposts that Dr Dee's scattered around the place." She led Kim to a chair and sat her down in front of the console. "Just relax and enjoy the show, Kim – I'm going to try and find the snake in this garden." She bent over the controls of the central terminal and started typing away, cycling through the hundreds of cameras that were hers to command from this one workstation. "I can access every single camera that Drakken has in this place, _and_ I can shut them all down from here too." _Way to make it easy for me, Dr Dee…_

Live-action images appeared on the main video monitor as Shego navigated her way through the huge, supposedly secret base – room by room, floor by floor. Hallways, doorways, streets from the upper world, training rooms, the cafeteria… they all swept across the monitor and were instantly dismissed when they turned up no evidence of the irritating and infuriating blue scientist. "Now this is odd…where the Hell is he?"

"What's odd?" Kim's eyes narrowed as she tried to force her eyes to focus on the dozens of screens in front of her. "What do you see?"

Shego started scanning faster through the cameras, confused at the total and complete vacancy of every room. "There's not a single person in this place, but I know _he_'s here. He has to be – I mean, you don't take the time to reinforce the door like that and not hole up inside…but I can't find anyone – not one henchman or synthodrone."

"You'd think a blue-skinned man would be easier to find in a place that's all gunmetal grey." Kim's voice was quiet – amused as her vision finally returned and cleared of all the bright spots. "Should we just get out of here and hunt him down the old-fashioned way?"

"Aha." Shego leaned forward suddenly as another stream of video appeared on the main monitor. "There you are, you sneaky son-of-a-maggot…"

Kim perked up, her eyes widening to an extraordinary size as she studied the picture on the screen. "What," she began quickly, "where is that?"

Shego laughed quietly. "It's his bedroom."

The redhead shuddered severely, looking away. "Ugh…that is _so_ wrong!"

The older woman grinned light-heartedly, "oh, relax Princess – he sleeps in footie pyjamas and a stocking cap; I seriously doubt that there's anything remotely sick or wrong going on in there." Shego looked back at the screen in front of her just in time to be reminded of one of the most disturbing things she had ever seen her former employer do. "Okay," she followed Kim's example and shuddered violently, feeling very much as though her skin was going to crawl right off her body. "Now, _that's_ just sick and wrong."

Kim smirked triumphantly, "see? I told you," her smile turned into a grimace as a sudden thought arose unbidden to the fore of her mind. "Do I really want to know?" She winced a little more tightly.

"Probably not," Shego stated flatly, still trying to work the chill out of her spine. She normally relished the things that caused chills to traverse the length of her body, but not this…

_Never _when it came to anything that related to Drakken.

Glancing sideways at her companion, Shego immediately found her salvation. Closing her eyes, she lowered her mind's growing barriers – growing out of necessity rather than choice; Shego _did_ need to be able to focus on the task at hand after all – and let the mild buzz of the girl's emotions wash over her, calming her twitching nerves as they relaxed under the soothing touch of the unidentifiable mixture of everything _Kim_. Shego smiled in spite of herself. _Only Kim_, she thought; _only my Kimmie could do this…_ Shego suddenly realized that the girl in question was studying her intently, silently. "What?"

"What's with the smile?" Kim closed her eyes for a second before a similar expression crossed her own face, her head tilting to one side in that irresistibly adorable way, "Oh," she replied to her own question, "I see – I'm glad I could help, Shego." She opened her eyes, keeping her smile, "so – what was he doing?"

Shego tried to think as little as possible about what she was about to say. "I'm guessing our oh-so-discreet entrance woke the ghostly blueberry from whatever twisted dreams he was having, but he's usually pretty clueless and can't figure out what wakes him up. He's probably decided his dream turned into a nightmare, and there's only one thing he'll take to put him back to sleep." In a crazy moment of insanity – as if she was trying to torture herself –, Shego glanced at the lying bastard's activity and couldn't help the slight shiver of disgust that swept through her body. Fortunately, her reaction was far less severe thanks to the heavy dose of _Kimmie_ she'd prescribed to herself. Unfortunately, however, that wouldn't help Kim feel better if the girl really wanted to know the details of Drakken's insomnia remedy.

Unfortunately again, Kim was of the curious, inquisitive nature and would never in a million years allow a mystery such as this to fall under the radar. "What does he do?" With good reason, the heroine braced herself for the answer, knowing instinctively that what she was about to hear was in absolutely no way of benefit to her sanity.

Shego made a face before she replied, feeling the beginnings of a gag reflex at the very thought of the blue devil's family concoction. "…chocolate-tomato milkshake," she finally forced out through clenched teeth.

Kim's eyes bulged out of her head as she stared at Shego in open-mouthed horror. "Tell me you're joking, please."

Shego's expression became apologetic and she shook her head slowly. "Sorry, Kim – but you asked."

Kim shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image of the horrid cocktail. "That can't be good for you," she groaned uncomfortably.

Shego laughed nervously, struggling to close down her empathy just enough that she'd stop feeling Kim's revulsion. It wasn't fun. "Yeah, I don't think it is, but it doesn't seem to do anything to Dr Dee. He just chugs two litres and falls back to sleep."

"Two litres?" Kim looked at the floor uneasily, swallowing carefully. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," she spoke quietly – slowly.

"Sure thing, Kimmie." Shego pushed herself out of her seat and reached over to switch off the security monitors, effectively shutting down surveillance all across the lair as she pulled her left glove off swiftly. "Let's go catch us a blueberry." Drawing back her hand, Shego briefly charged up and blasted the centre of the console with a fair-sized plasma bolt, following it up with her blazing fist.

If it weren't for the bolt she'd led her attack with, putting her fist through the metal sheeting of the security console would have been really painful, but the initial blast heated and weakened the panelling just enough that her punch had all the power of a falling meteor, blowing apart the half-melted console and shredding the wires and circuits that lay beneath.

Shego turned to face Kim, "Let's get out of here." She offered her hand to the redhead.

Kim accepted the help without hesitating. "Yes, lets." She straightened as she put the megalomaniac's sickening comfort drink out of her mind. "Lead the way, Shego."

"Right." Shego pulled open the door to the dimly lit hallway outside. "Follow me, Princess." She even threw a respectful bow in with the pet name, smiling the whole time.

Kim giggled softly, but stepped out into the hallway after her unlikely mentor. "So, do you think he has any other surprises waiting for you besides the almleti plated door?"

Shego smirked confidently as the redhead drew alongside her in the corridor. "You know, he probably does, but he's probably got it all set around the single assumption that I'd be alone when I came to bust his ass." She tossed one arm across Kim's shoulders and pulled her close, "he probably never counted on me teaming up with anyone – much less his nemesis."

The redheaded heroine allowed a small grin to cross her lips. "He was never my nemesis."

"Of course not," Shego grinned, "but let the man dream." They turned a corner and came face to face with a virtually unmarked door; all it said was _Drakken_ in small red letters. "Let him dream… 'cuz we're about to give him a real nightmare." She motioned to Kim, turning a feral grin on her partner. "Almleti plating…Kimmie?"

Kim offered a thin sliver of a smile of her own as she reached out one hand for the door.

* * *

A tremendous explosion announced the duo's entrance into the darkened suite of rooms that made up Doctor Drakken's living space, followed soon afterwards by a cacophony of crashes and bangs as a huge wave of twisted and half-melted debrisfollowed the blast inside.

Stepping through the ragged hole in the door – the edges of which were glowing a dull white – Shego curled her un-gloved hands into tight, burning fists. "Knock, knock."

A high-pitched gasp answered her as the smoke began to clear. "No!" A dark shape rose up from behind a tall dresser and made a run for it only for a redheaded blur to come flying in through the blasted door, slamming straight into the fleeing shadow.

The impact of Kim's clasped fists driving into the man's left hip and then rising up sharply threw Doctor Drew Lipsky – also known as Dr Drakken – clear across the room and into a thick, aluminium shelving unit, severely crumpling the top three shelves and sending their contents raining down as the mad scientist collapsed to the steel-plated floor. As Kim recovered and stepped back, none the worse for wear, the tall shelf gave a low groan and fell away from the wall, toppling over to land on the prone man with a dull clang.

The pale blue man echoed his shelf's noise of complaint and struggled to return to his feet so he could make good his escape. Shego almost rolled her eyes at the man's ineptitude. Where did he think he was going to go? Two super-powered martial artists stood between him and the door, and they were stuck in a room underground – no windows.

Just in case, Shego spoke in a cold voice, stopping the man in his tracks with her dangerously slow words. "It's been a long time, Dr Dee."

The black-haired scientist repeated his odd cry of mingled outrage and terror. "Shego?" There also seemed to be a slight note of disbelief buried in there somewhere. "Uh…" he trailed off quickly, his voice growing quiet as the burning fire in his former sidekick's eyes as well as in her hands forced him into a state so horrified he failed to notice the presence of a certain redheaded anti-heroine. "Um…" he started trying to back away from the tense Shego, but was quickly stopped by a wall at his back. "Hello," he finally added in a hesitant – almost childish – voice. "What brings you here, Shego?"

Shego carelessly waved his question aside and crossed her arms, casually examining the fingernails of one hand. "I used to live here too, Dr Dee." She stared at her black-painted fingernails disinterestedly before glaring back at the cowering scientist. _What a spineless little worm…_ "In fact," she uncrossed her arms and brought her plasma-wreathed hands to bear on the little man, "we need a place to stay, so I'm kicking out the vermin." She took a step forward threateningly. _Let's just get this over with._

Drakken surprised them both by drawing himself up to his full height – which didn't quite reach Kim or Shego's. His eyes narrowed suddenly with unexpected determination and bravado. "Shego! You will not force me from my home – not today, not ever!"

_Hm,_ Kim mused – only slightly taken aback because she'd had a fraction of a second's warning. She hadn't probed Drakken's mind, but she'd still felt the man's rising confidence and anger the instant before he acted on it. Kim studied the shorter man intently – warily – unsure of what to think about the blind eye he continued to turn to her presence in his Home Lair. Something about his sudden backbone just didn't sit right with Kim.

_He has something on her; some edge he knows will save him. That's the only way he could stand up to her like this – he's too much a coward at heart._

Shego, for all of her empathic abilities, was too far gone in her own anger to sense Drakken's expanding ego and burgeoning confidence, nor his counterpart form of hatred for _her_; she _had_, after all betrayed him and left him for dead – in his own home no less.

"You'd better have an army of henchmen ready to protect you in the next three seconds, Drakken – because that's what it's going to take to escape me this time."

"Actually, Shego…" The scientist casually reached into a pocket of his jumpsuit but carefully kept his hand hidden. "I predict that in ten minutes you and I will have let bygones be bygones," he smirked triumphantly, "I do of course mean that you'll have learned your place and returned to the very life I have created you for."

Shego scoffed at that. "Yeah, fat chance…" she looked away disinterestedly, but Kim sensed the jolt of doubt that swept through her partner's mind; Shego was beginning to see that something was wrong with this whole situation. _Like, since when did Dr Drakken have a spine?_

_Oh, to Hell with it._ Kim threw caution to the wind and probed Drakken's mind, retaining the control to only look at his thoughts concerning the object he now held quietly out of sight. _What do you have, Drakken?_

The answer filled the heroine's mind…

And her blood ran like ice in her veins.

_Oh no,_ she thought desperately. _God – no…I'd dreamed of someday...but not like this._

_Not like this._

Kim opened her mouth to warn Shego. "Sheg –!"

She was interrupted by Drakken as he finally granted her the pleasure and courtesy of being noticed by the self-proclaimed maniacal genius. "Oh, and you've brought Kim Possible with you – excellent; now she'll get to see just how weak and pathetic you _really_ are."

Shego took a menacing step forward, looking more than ready to give Drakken a frontal lobotomy via plasma-fingers, but she brought herself up short when a clear vial containing a shimmering rose-coloured liquid was abruptly held up only centimetres from her face.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Drakken moved away from Shego, the small vial still held in his hand. "I'd think you would have learned to control that fiery temper of yours, my dear. After all, I'm certain you don't want me to _accidentally_ shatter this vial."

Shego backed off just slightly, "why?" She tried to maintain her façade of control over the situation. Kim knew that her partner was intensely curious – but she also knew the answer would certainly tear the villainess apart. "What is that – some kind of super-virus that'll kill everyone in this room? I can tell you right now, that's the worst plan I've ever heard – and that's saying something. You're in this room, doofus; you'll die too."

Drakken's smirk only grew, seeming to only gain strength from the abuse at the hands of his former sidekick. "Oh, no. Fear not, Shego. I can tell you for a fact that this is in no form any kind of disease or toxin." He paused – presumably for dramatic effect. He was such a head case.

Seconds passed in silence one after another. "Oh, no Shego – this is far more than that…this is something far worse…"

Kim felt her heart plummet. _Oh, no…don't say it…_

Drakken closed his fist around the vial, keeping it raised between him and his pale-skinned acquaintance. "This, Shego." He shook the sealed glass container, "this is something special I made just for you – something I knew that you might actually appreciate, but would never acquire without me."

Kim stared wide-eyed at the man's black-gloved fist. Drakken was _so _going to pay for this.

He was still talking, however, and paid Kim's thoughts no mind. "This, Shego, he paused once more. "This is something truly wondrous." He stopped for a moment, and then smiled devilishly. "_This_," he went on:

"This is a _cure_."

* * *

Shego's face paled. "You're lying."

Kim didn't bother covering up the fact that she'd already seen Drakken's plan in his own mind; even without her powers, she'd always been able to see right through him. This situation would certainly be in character for her. "You're going to blackmail Shego with a cure for her hands? How much lower can you sink, Drakken?"

He gave a frustrated squeal. "Oh, you Possibles and your lip – you spoil all the good surprises!" He pouted in that immature way that Kim remembered.

_Hm,_ she mused. _The more things change, the more they stay the same…isn't that the truth?_

Kim crossed her arms and gave the blue-skinned scientist the most amused smirk she could muster under the circumstances. "Did you forget that in four years?"

"No," he pushed his frustration to one side and turned back to Shego. "I remember it quite well, and you should know I'm not lying to you, Shego. Did you ever stop and think for one second that I would leave a plan as unpredictably volatile as your employment only half-finished like that?" He grinned triumphantly at both Shego and Kim. "Did you think I would go through all the trouble of creating the formula that mutated you, research the substances that could block it, blame it on Kim Possible, and then just leave it at that? Oh, no." Dr Drakken sneered at Shego's apparent lack of vision. "I needed something else to keep you in line; it was only a matter of time before the noble heroine discovered that your hatred for her was based on lies. To be honest," he turned a puzzled eye on Kim as he spoke, "I was surprised it took three years for her to get up the nerve to talk to you about it."

Shego appeared to think about that for a moment, and then shook her head slowly. "I still don't buy it. If you had this miracle cure, why did you let me beat you to death's door? I think you would have had a little more self preservation that that."

A sheepish expression crept onto the man's face. "That's true. To be completely frank, it wasn't quite finished when you found me out." Before either woman could respond to the absurdity of the madman's newest revelation, he went on in a hurried voice, appearing quite offended by their disbelieving stares, "Look, the two of you may not totally understand the nature of this chemical; designing the formula that mutated you was one thing – creating a serum that would negate only one characteristic in the entire mixture was something else entirely."

Kim raised an eyebrow questioningly, quickly drawing close to a point where she would begin to seriously doubt this little man's sanity. "One characteristic? What the Hell kind of cure is that?"

"Only the best kind for a woman such as my Shego." Drakken gloated, turning a mock-sympathetic expression on his former sidekick. "It hurts, doesn't it, Shego?" He glanced at the vial in his hands again, opening his fist for the briefest of seconds, "to be so close to people and yet so impossibly far. You think I didn't notice your depression – your colossal loneliness?" He smirked at the pale woman. "Our Lairs practically dripped with your melancholy – your pining for companionship. You took in that Senor Senior boy without a second thought, remember? That alone was enough for me to know that there was another way I could further secure your loyalty to me – another path to subjugating your will."

Kim probed into Drakken's mind once more and felt horror and terror clench her heart. "Oh, no…"

Drakken's grin widened. "Oh, yes. I know how you think, Shego – so I know all too well that there is only one thing that keeps you from enjoying your powers to their fullest." He reached his left hand into his pocket, shaking the vial in his right. "What I offer you, my dear, is freedom. I offer you the power to touch whomever you wish without fear of your plasma incinerating them; all I ask is one thing…nothing I haven't asked for before – a formality, really." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it in such a way that his next item remained hidden.

Shego crossed her arms and glared sceptically at the little man. "I _seriously_ doubt that it's anything so small, but go on – I'm listening." She held one emerald-glowing hand up, "but not for long."

Kim didn't miss the look of longing that flitted briefly across Shego's expression before she got herself back under control; total freedom to use her bare hands without losing her powers? It seemed too good to be true.

Obviously, it was.

Drakken opened his hand for his guests to see. "I demand nothing short of your total and complete _obedience_." His widening grin sent chills down Kim's spine – and not the good kind.

Kim heard Shego gasp when she set her eyes on the small black and red microchip in the scientist's hand, but Kim was too horrified to keep up her act of not already knowing what the blue-skinned man had held in his hand – what he had held in store for his former sidekick should she ever deign to darken his doorstep again.

_Oh, God no – please, not this…_

It was a Neural Compliance chip.

* * *

**(((Flashback)))**

"_God, those two can be such _pains

_Kim reached up for another handhold as she scaled the cliff face beside a towering waterfall._

_She was in a rainforest in Peru, trying to track down Drakken and Shego – again. They'd stolen a microchip this time – or rather, Shego had stolen it and Drakken just planned something awful with it. The chip they'd acquired this time was particularly dangerous; they'd taken it from a brilliant – and highly unscrupulous – scientist, a Doctor Bortle. Kim had been shocked when she'd learned that it was supposed to completely override the wearer's control over their own body, stripping them of all free will._

_It had been all too easy to track the fleeing super criminals after that, given the motivation and the evidence on hand, but Kim wasn't grumbling about that._

_No, if not for the twin terrors that she had left with Ron, this mission might have actually been a little fun, despite the whole nefarious scheme that Drakken had probably already plotted out._

_Unfortunately, Kim's parents had left that very morning for some kind of relationship help conference, leaving their eldest child the unwanted responsibility of caring for her twin ten-year-old brothers, Jim and Tim. What little monsters they were; it was unbelievable that the twin dweebs could share any genes with Kim, but if her parents were to be believed, she had been no better at their age. Hard to believe, but Kim assumed it was possible._

_Anything's possible and all._

_Still, while the Tweebs might turn out all right in the end, that day was still far away into the future, and Kim couldn't help but live in the present where she was stuck with the everlasting annoyances that were her twin brothers._

_So, it wasn't the existence of the two villains that she was cursing, but that of her own twin brothers._

"_I swear," she grumbled as she stared up at the cave mouth that was now only a few more metres away, "if those two do one more thing to screw up this mission, I'll –."_

_Kim was just reaching up to pull herself into the cave when the crunch of boots on gravel interrupted her thought. And, looking up with startled indifference – she _did _know over a dozen forms of martial arts after all, so what threat could it be –, she found Dr Drakken standing over her wearing a grin so wide and sinister it made her insides crawl. _Damn! How did I let him get so close?

_In a rare moment of luck, Drakken acted before Kim had the chance to do any more than stare._

"_Hello…" His eyes shining triumphantly, Drakken darted forward and stabbed something into Kim's forehead._

_Kim was instantly overcome with a sharp knife of agony in her skull, and she turned away from the man, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. Kim consciously forced her hands to tighten on their handholds instead of allowing her pain to overcome her resistance and release her grip._

_Then, a moment later, the pain lifted, evaporating into nothing and leaving Kim with a strangely weightless sensation while leaving her still able to feel the Earth beneath her hands and feet. _Whoa_, she rocked just slightly; _that was weird. What did he just hit me with?_ She looked up at Dr Drakken. _If that was supposed to knock me out or stun me, Drakken screwed up again.

_Dazed, Kim pulled herself up over the cliff edge and turned to face Drakken. "I don't know what that was supposed to do to me, but you're still going down, Drakken." Kim spoke defiantly._

_Or at least, that was what she _tried_ to say._

_Grinning malevolently, Drakken stepped back and held a mirror to Kim's face. "Welcome to my team, Kim Possible."_

_Unable to turn away because she was no longer in control of her own body, Kim stared at the face in the mirror. The black and red microchip imbedded shallowly into the center of her forehead wasn't difficult to find, but there was something more terrifying than Dr Bortle's neural compliance chip in the face that gazed from Drakken's mirror…_

_The empty, lifeless look in her own bright green eyes would fuel Kim's worst nightmares for years afterward._

**(((End Flashback)))**

* * *

Kim brought herself back to the present from her brief lapse into the past.

It had been a horrible experience, needless to say, and she had been unable to stop herself from following every command given to her by Drakken. Thankfully, Dr Drakken had been – for the moment at least – far more interested in his global domination scheme than in humiliating the great Kim Possible now that he had successfully captured her. Kim could be thankful for that much. All Drakken had made her do was change into one of Shego's many extra bodysuits and capture Ron, which wasn't so bad; Ron just did what he always did best – he ran.

It was no small miracle that Drakken's stolen mind control chip had been unable to tap into her powers. If it had been able to connect to her abilities, there was little doubt in Kim's mind that Jim and Tim would have been captured long before they could set up their homemade silicon phase disruptor and destroy the chips Drakken had placed on her and Shego. So, throughout the entire ordeal, Kim's powers – her gifts – had remained a closely guarded secret, leading her to believe that her connection to them was more than just a mental one.

Frankly, however, that was one of very few good things to come out of that experience. That, and the unexpected revelation that Shego wasn't completely loyal to Drakken – why else slap her with a mind control chip? Honestly, Kim had never thought to consider that perhaps Shego hadn't in fact bought into Dr Drakken's whole megalomaniacal beliefs but had really used an alliance with the scientist as a means to an end. Kim had never really understood the depth of the villainess' hatred – not until that day in the Peruvian lair.

Shego's voice – with its trademark snide tone – pulled Kim away from her thoughts. "Are you serious?" She was obviously speaking to Drakken, and she stood in a carelessly casual pose that Kim found to be unreasonably attractive. Shego's face was set in a sharp scowl that was a cross between amused and angered. "You actually expect me to willingly let you invade my mind for a second time? You had to force that chip onto me the first time – what makes you think I'd just up and volunteer this time around?"

Drakken just smiled and gazed meaningfully at Shego's plasma enshrouded hands. "Oh, nothing – you just know that I have something you want…and I know just how much you crave it."

Kim looked sharply at her partner when she sensed the intense longing drifting off the older woman's mind. _No way…she can't probably be considering this._

Shego wasn't even trying to hide how much she wanted Drakken's cure; all three of them already knew it – knew what a horrible mess the villainess' life had become once she'd lost any conventional use of her hands.

And a cure it was. Kim had sensed that much in her millisecond-long foray into the cerulean megalomaniac's head. There had been no deceit – the vial now safely secured within Dr Drakken's pocket actually did contain the cure for Shego's condition, and it really would only remove that single element that made Shego's powers a constant curse. So, he was at least on the level with that part.

Shego narrowed her eyes just the same – keeping up the useless pretence. "Okay, I'll bite – what's the deal?" She kept her arms crossed.

"That's my girl, Shego." The short pastel-faced man spread his hands innocently before patting the pocket in which he'd placed his pink-filled vial. "I'll give you this cure, Shego – you can count on that, and I ask only two things for your part." He paused, presumably for dramatic effect, but all it did was to serve as a reminder of how goofy and clueless the blue-faced man usually was. "I want five years, and your promise that you won't seek revenge for anything that might happen when it's all over. I ask for five years with a loyal henchwoman, and then I'll remove the chip myself."

Shego snorted. "I could just promise you five years of loyalty _without _a chip."

Drakken's reply was to laugh in amusement – a creepy, disturbing, and far from comforting sound. "Oh, I think we can both agree how empty a promise _that_ would be." He gestured down at his right leg. "I still have the limp to remind me how dangerous you are when you have control of your own body."

Tilting her head to one side, Kim stopped and actually studied the scientist's stance for the first time. He was standing in such a way that his weight was almost completely removed from his right leg, and there was a slight bulging in the jumpsuit around his knee and upper calf, as if the joint had never completely healed right. _Wow,_ Kim thought, _Shego really worked him over._

The woman in question smirked. "What can I say, Dr Dee? You should have thought of that before you decided to get on my bad side." Her smile vanished so quickly Kim thought she'd get whiplash. "I gotta tell you Drakken, unwilling genetic sabotage really isn't very good at inspiring loyalty."

Drakken shrugged and made some kind of dismissive noise. "What's done is done, I suppose. But seriously now, Shego," he grew excited in a very unsettling way. "After I've gotten my five years of work from you, I will disable your chip and administer my cure to your hands. Once that's done," the little weasel smiled in what was probably supposed to be a charming way; it was more an unnatural contortion than a smile of _any_ description. "Once we've cleaned up your hand problem, you and I can go our separate ways until kingdom come."

Shego laughed humourlessly, "After this, if I never see your face again, it'll be too soon."

Kim continued to stare at Shego. 'You can't seriously be considering this,' She decided privacy was probably best for a conversation like this in front of a man like Drakken. 'Come on,' she pleaded when Shego gave no indication she was going to play along, 'talk to me; Drakken will just think you're taking a long time to weigh your options.'

'Fine,' Shego replied, glancing coolly at Kim. 'Tell me you haven't wanted to feel my hands on you. Tell me that you haven't been hoping for something like this. Tell me that you didn't enjoy the feeling of my fingers running through your hair –that you don't want me to be free to touch you whenever I want and not just when I'm wearing my gloves. Tell me right now, Kim, and I'll forget about Drakken's deal.'

Kim shook her head ever-so-slightly and her shoulders slumped in defeat. 'I can't,' she confessed. She stared at the profile view she had of her partner's lovely face. 'Honestly, I love the feel of your hands, Shego – far more than you could ever understand. I _have_ been hoping and praying to whatever God exists that there could be a cure out there for you,' Kim trailed off uncertainly before deciding to push ahead, 'and I would like nothing better than to see you get that cure, but _this_?' She studied Drakken's expectant half-smile; he seemed oblivious to Shego and Kim's private conversation and looked all too patient to let Shego think about his offer. 'Can you trust that he'll deliver what he's promising? I seriously doubt that you can take him at his word.'

Shego's eyes narrowed even farther as she turned to hit Drakken with a piercing glare of her own. 'Of course I can't take him at his word.' She seemed to stare straight through her former employer, 'but I still have to do it.'

Kim froze, her eyes widening in shock and horror. 'What – no!' She reached out and laid one hand on Shego's shoulder, as if she could really stop the villainess with a single five-fingered hand. 'You don't have to do this.'

Shego glared back at Kim from her place a pace or so in front of the redhead, having already taken half a step in Drakken's direction. 'Are you sure about that? Do you have some kind of training in biochemistry? Do you know a single thing about genetic manipulation? Can you find a way to fix my hands? Because if you can, I will gladly beat Drakken into the next Ice Age, but if you can't…' She trailed off dangerously.

Kim gave the mental equivalent of a nod. 'I get it; it's Drakken's mess, so make him clean it up – but still…' the retired heroine felt inspiration grip her. 'What's the back-up plan?' She had to resist the urge to grin at the ripple of amusement and confidence her question evoked from Shego's mind. 'Oh, it's that good, is it? Do tell.'

Shego's amusement only grew at that. 'Now there's the Kim Possible I've grown so fond of.' She looked back at Drakken, whose body language seemed to display a continued lack of awareness with regard to the conversation that was going on right under his nose. 'What can you sense, Kimmie – is Dr Dee on the level?'

Kim cast outward with her mind and tried to gain access to Drakken's thoughts on the subject. Finally, with a silent sigh of frustration, she shook her head ever-so-slightly. Her telepathy had given out once more on her for no apparent purpose. 'Nothing,' she relayed to her partner. 'I'm sorry, Shego; my telepathy's acting up again but I had him before. I can tell you that the cure is very real, and it's in the vial in his pocket, but I didn't get a motive or his true intentions from him. So, Drakken's promise isn't entirely an empty one if that makes you feel any better.' Kim doubted it would.

'Not really,' Shego frowned just slightly. 'If he was lying about that – if he was playing more games with me, I could just deck his ass and leave him to die, but if that stuff is real, that means he's in control of the situation.' Shego grimaced at the tiny, self-satisfied smile on Drakken's face, 'and he knows it.' A playful smirk snuck onto the tall villainess' face. 'That's quite the reliable power you've got there, Kimmie; you can still talk to me but you can't read a simpleton like Dr Dee?' She breathed a quiet sigh. 'Aright, whatever – here's the plan: I'm gonna take Dr Dee's offer, and _you_ are going to let me. You've got to get out of here before he decides what to do with you. After five years, if you haven't heard from me, chances are good that Drakken has "forgotten" to free me. If that's the case, I want you to get your hands on one of those silicon phase disruptors that your genius brothers built and come find me. Once I'm free, I'll teach Doc Dee another lesson in courtesy – this time _with_ my plasma.'

'I don't know,' Kim hesitated, unsure what to do, 'five years is a really long time, Shego – a lot can go wrong in that much time.'

'I know that,' Shego replied matter-of-factly, quietly. 'But we don't really have any other cards to play, do we?'

Kim thought about it for a moment. 'So, you're willing to sell five years of your life to the very same man who ruined it in the first place?'

It was almost a full minute before Shego answered as she seriously considered the question. 'In a heartbeat, Kim; if it'll get me my hands back – even if it's just so I could feel your face one more time without fear – I'll do it without a second thought.' Shego's lips were set in a determined frown, but Kim could still sense that doubt and fear wafting off the other woman's mind – the deep _longing_. 'Do you have _any_ idea what it's like to be so close to you but unable to touch you?' The pain Kim could see in her partner's eyes found an echoing tremor from within her own heart. 'You gave me those few moments in that empty bathroom before the museum, but it's not enough. I want more – I _need_ more.' Glancing suddenly at Kim, Shego's eyes narrowed suspiciously, threateningly. 'Say,' She purred mentally, her voice as smooth as glass and about as comforting as a guillotine. 'Why are you so eager for me to turn Drakken down? Do you like that I can't touch you – that _you _have the edge on _me _for once – that you can touch me whenever you want to while I have to focus so hard to not hurt you? Do you _enjoy_ watching me struggle with my powers while you just breeze through with yours?'

Kim felt like she'd just been slapped. And kicked. 'Oh – God no, Shego. Do you really think so little of me?'

She paused to think of the right way to put her feelings into words. 'It's just – this goes against everything that makes you the woman you are – the amazing, free-spirited woman that I've fallen in love with.' Kim moved her hand slightly so her fingers gently brushed against the bare skin of Shego's neck, realising for the first time how much she'd taken this freedom for granted – the ability to reach out and touch Shego without worrying that she'd hurt her pale-skinned companion. _Not like Shego…_ 'You want to know why I don't want you to do this – why I'm so desperate to convince you that this is the worst idea in the long, tragic history of horrible ideas?' She concentrated tightly. 'Then look,' she focused on the images and feelings that rose in her mind whenever she thought about what her partner was really considering, sending the entire collection of images to Shego through the connection she'd completed by making contact with her bare neck.

As Kim merged their two minds together, a brilliant vision overcame them both and they stood frozen in place for the single second that passed outside their one consciousness:

_Two birds – one bright red and the other a deep forest green – soared through the sky together, circling around and under and over each other as though caught up in the steps of an intricate and mesmerizing dance. Without warning, the green bird folded her wings and swooped down on Red, striking out with outstretched talons. The blow fell far short of its intended target, just barely kissing the red bird's tail feathers._

_Red gave a piercing cry in return and whirled around to strike back, lashing out with her own talons to just _almost_ brush across Green's left wing, doing nothing more than smoothing down her companion's raven-black feathers. Drawing away, Red let loose a deafening shriek that carried all across the clear blue sky._

_And on the two birds went, locked in a fight neither seemed able to win. It wasn't clear whether they were actually fighting to kill or for the thrill,_ _but one thing was _crystal

Joy.

Beauty.

Grace.

_It was in every move they made, every talon swipe and wing beat, infused into every fibre of each step in the endless dance they shared, and it poured straight from their souls with every fierce cry of fury and passionate shriek. It didn't matter to either predator if one or the other won their deadly and thrilling game; what truly mattered was their being together to just…_be

_And neither winged sky dancer could be any happier than at that very moment, soaring side-by-side and trading talon swipes. Nothing could be more fulfilling to either raptor than to share identical, deafening cries of mixed challenge and ecstasy._

_And pure, untouched, untameable _Passion.

_Suddenly, a massively built – but unbearably tiny – steel cage formed around Green, trapping her in a space barely large enough to hop two steps in, let alone fly. Abruptly grounded in mid-flight – even in midair – Green could do little more than watch as Red circled the suspended cage helplessly – suddenly alone. _

_Then, with a mournful warble that was a truly pitiful sound, Red settled down to perch on the roof of the steel prison in which her companion now lay motionless, having toppled weakly to the cold, unforgiving bars beneath her talons._

_Red gazed down despairingly at the deathly still predator, chirping softly as if she were trying to rouse her unresponsive companion…but to no avail._

From there, Kim's shared vision grew progressively darker, ever more pitiful.

Kim felt Shego step away from her touch, breaking the connection that had made their link possible; clearly the hardened criminal had seen enough of Kim's feelings on the subject, but Kim needed to make sure her partner _understood_ what she'd seen.

'Don't you get it, Shego?' Kim's psychic voice was little more than a broken whisper. 'It took our four years apart to realize it, but I've finally come to my senses and seen the reality of it all.' The redhead stared at Shego, willing the older woman to turn around so they could lock gazes, one pair of emerald orbs to another. 'I can't live without you anymore,' Kim finally confessed, 'I was going downhill, Shego. Only…it was in slow motion – I was crashing just gradually enough that I never would have seen it if not for your reappearance in my life, and for that, I will thank you from the farthest corners of my soul.'

Kim swallowed uncomfortably, hating herself for delivering an ultimatum like this, but it was the truth of how she felt and Shego deserved to know that much – at the _very_ least. 'If you go back to him like this and we cross paths again, he's going to force you to fight me. He'll want you to destroy me, and you'll have no control over the situation.' Kim did her best to ignore the shocked and pained look Shego sent her way. 'I can't fight you like that anymore – and I _won't_. I turned my back on straight-up heroism, Shego – do you understand what that means? I'm out, Shego – I'm out for good.' Kim felt her eyes beginning to tear up at the strain of trying to hide their conversation from Dr Drakken, but she forced that thought from her mind, focusing instead on the stubborn woman in front of her. 'If we cross paths and you're hooked to that chip, I'll run. I'll turn and run because I can't fight you, and I won't allow Drakken to force me to.'

Shego stared at her in disbelief, 'it's only five years, Kim. We'll have the rest of our lives afterwards.'

'Only? A lot can change in five years.' Kim was growing desperate now. It seemed like the combined forces of her emotions, reason, and even plain common sense weren't going to be enough to match Shego's own hopelessly desperate need for safe, controllable hands. 'Five years will change you, Shego – five years will change _me_ – just like four years have changed _us_.'

Shego smirked confidently, amused. 'And look where four years put us, Princess; not exactly the best argument you could have come up with for your case.'

_She isn't seeing anything,_ Kim thought, exasperated. All Shego could see was the miracle cure that Drakken had flashed before her eyes not ten minutes earlier. _He's a great manipulator, _Kim thought – _I'll give him that much._ 'We're only the way we are,' Kim tried to explain, 'because we've spent four years apart and _free_ – note that last part. We were both free to experience the world and discover ourselves – see ourselves for who we really are. Don't get me wrong, Shego – I've got nothing against change; but at least if we're together, we'll be changing – growing – _together_.'

Kim looked suspiciously at Drakken, 'And don't fool yourself, Shego – you'll be a prisoner for five years. Now, Drakken might not throw you into a cell, but a prison without walls is still a prison – and you and I both know how much worse this will be than a prison cell; how long were you under that chip's influence last time? Two, maybe three days, was it? Remember how pissed off you were back then? How much worse will it be after five _years_ of that – unable to eat or sleep without Drakken's permission? Remember the helplessness? The Rage?'

Kim felt a sudden thought come to her and fear took hold of her heart in an icy grip. 'After five years trapped so helplessly, you'll be so angry, so bitter, so dead to life…do you really think you'll still be capable of loving anything – any_one_?' She saw that she'd hit Shego brutally with that one; the slightly older woman had shuddered ever-so-slightly, either in fear or horror. 'I told you that I love you, Shego – and I really do mean it. I can promise you that my feelings won't change no matter what you decide here and now, but can you do the same? If you do this, once you've served your five years, will you still remember what _love_ even is?'

Shego gave no outward sign that she was hearing Kim's words, but she felt the empath's comprehension flowing out of her mind through their link. 'I understand what you're saying, Kim. Really, I get it – but this is still _my_ decision to make.'

'Don't do this,' Kim pleaded. She felt her already strained control over her facial expression fall apart completely as her emotions tore at her mind. The desperation that was eating away at her soul flooded out into her body, turning her previously emotionless face into a grimace of pain, fear, and despair. 'Shego,' Kim tried again to persuade the woman she loved to not make this mistake. 'I asked you this morning if you would be happy with whatever you can take from me – all that I can give. If you had asked me the same, my answer would have been _yes_ – until the day I die, that answer is still yes. I don't care what Drakken's done to you; just being with you is more than I could have ever dreamed of having.'

Kim stepped back and lowered her gaze to the concrete floor, realizing she only had one last chance to change Shego's mind – one last argument before she'd be out of words. It was ruthless, it was cold-hearted, perhaps even so far below the belt it was subterranean, but it needed to be said all the same. 'I know it's selfish of me to feel this way and it's totally not fair to you, but I would rather have an eternity without the softness of your hands than spend five years without you – watching Drakken strip you of everything that makes you the woman you are will destroy me.'

'Get out.' Shego's mental voice was suddenly cold and sharp as her almleti-plated climbing claws and it made Kim think for a split second that she had said something to piss her partner off, that her last words had been a little too insensitive. She even opened her mouth to apologize – though for exactly what she still wasn't quite sure – but Shego cut her off. 'I'm serious, Kim – go.' Her tone gentled somewhat. 'I won't be able to stop whatever he's planning for you once he activates that chip so you've got to get out of here.'

Kim nodded mutely, finally accepting that she wasn't going to win this one. 'Alright, Shego.' She took a single step back, moving closer to the door to the lair's hallway, but couldn't bring herself to leave the room entirely – not just yet. 'I'm not going anywhere until I hear from you, so you'll know where to find me.'

Shego closed her eyes and sighed sadly through her nostrils. 'Yeah,' she turned to face Kim, a humourless smile marring her beautiful, pale face. 'Kim – do me a favour?'

'Anything,' Kim replied unhesitatingly.

'Take care of my house – and my bike.' At the redhead's incredulous and disbelieving expression, Shego's smile became that much more genuine and Kim felt her heart shudder just a little at the sight. _God_, she thought; _she's so beautiful…_ 'Come on, Kim,' Shego went on, 'do you really think I want to keep that bike anywhere close to Drakken when he's about to chip me? If he chips me, he'll get that free ride he's always wanted on my pride and joy – the one he's always bugged me about. Now, he may have built the _Ghost_ for me, but I've worked and repaired that machine so many times that over my dead body will he ever soil _my_ bike with his filthy, tiny hands.' Finally turning to Drakken and sliding on one of her almleti-lined gloves as if their conversation was now over, Shego's smile died a swift, silent death. 'Now go – you've got a set of keys.'

Feeling an odd – but far from unwelcome – thrill of pleasure at the realization that Shego's radiant half-smile had been for her and _her alone_, Kim reluctantly took another step towards the door, still facing the room's two remaining occupants. 'I love you, Shego.' Her words were quiet, sincere, and held as much emotion for the raven-wigged woman in the center of Drakken's room as Kim could cram into them. But there was also a promise – hidden not-so-subtly in her soft declaration – a promise of wonderful, beautiful –_ exciting_ – times when Shego was back in her arms again. 'Be careful,' Kim offered at last, 'and come back to me, _please_.'

'Always,' Shego nodded as if to herself, reaching out at the same time to coolly pluck the black-and-red microchip from Dr Drakken's hand with her newly gloved one. 'Now get out of here.'

Unwilling – hell, _refusing_ – to watch Drakken strip Shego of everything she was – everything that made her unique and irresistible to Kim, the redhead whirled and fled the room, sending up a silent prayer to a God she hadn't believed in for a long time that her partner would live through the ordeal that she was about to submit herself to. _Let her be strong enough to survive this…_

Feet pounding lightly – silently – on the concrete floor of the darkened corridor, Kim was almost to the street when she felt Shego's mind reach out to touch hers one last time. Those few words were filled with so much emotion – raw, unguarded – so much of the very _essence _of Shego that Kim felt her own eyes swiftly welling up with tears. She made no move to wipe the offensive moisture from her eyes – stubbornly refused to acknowledge their very existence because she knew that if she did, more would come right behind the pearls of despair that were even now stinging at her eyes. Besides, if she allowed herself to start crying now, she'd just collapse to the ground and never leave these halls and – God – she had to get out of here! She had to get away from this place!

Shego's last words sounded clearly across the still strong telepathic bond that linked them together – the only reason they had been able to speak so covertly with one another, and the only way the villainess had been able to share her final words across the growing distance between them as Kim ran. The heroine felt the words tug on her heart and she almost turned back to storm into the room and tear the accursed mind control chip from Shego's hand, but she was about as willing to do that as she was to acknowledge the existence of the ice-cold tears that were now flowing freely down her face like a waterfall. She had said that she would let Shego have her way, and she respected her partner far too much to go back on her word like that.

'See you in five years, Kimmie.'

Six words, and then pain – pain like a stake through the side of her skull. Shego's sudden agony tore across their link like a bullet train, driving straight through and obliterating Kim's mental defences to wreak havoc with her own head. The pain was so intense that it drove Kim to her knees, her head cradled tightly in her hands as she skidded painfully to a stop along the solid, unforgiving concrete floor.

The pain passed after only a few moments, but with it went any trace of Shego. When Kim was finally able to think clearly again, she could sense nothing at all in the space her partner's mind had until just a minute ago been resting in. She also noticed that their link had been completely cut off, ending in a void space like the end of a frayed thread. _Oh, God – no…_

It was as if Shego's mind had simply ceased to exist.

* * *

**Note: **Yes, I know, evil with the cliffhanger, but fear not – I promise the wait won't be nearly as long as it was for this chapter. Two weeks, tops. Maybe one if I push myself typing-wise.

Next Time: Did Shego seriously take Drakken's chip? Seriously? Seriously! Seriously?


	14. Interlude

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Thirteenth - Interlude

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego.

**Rating:** PG-15. Probably higher this time for you Prudes out there who can't get your minds out of the gutter.

**Spoilers:** None…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, everyone ready? We shall now remove ourselves from the current story timeline and move to some other time in Shego and Kim's relationship – a week – a year – five? – after chapter 13. Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**Interlude**

Two women resided in the same room, both very close to one another – intimately close.

So close, in fact that one pair of hands was slowly moving across the rosy pink skin of her companion, probing gently, carefully, cautiously.

_You won't hurt me…_

The words rose unbidden to the front of the older woman's mind, dredged up from some point in the past, when they two had just begun exploring their relationship. _That had been so long ago. _Shaking her head, the dark green eyed woman bent back to the task at hand. It was rude to keep a Princess waiting, after all.

Cool, soft, lightly glowing hands returned to the flushed pink body, stroking more firmly, more confidently. They were ready for this.

A soft moan emerged from between the lips of the redhead underneath the slightly older woman – only older by a handful of years, really no different, considering their ages _now_.

No sound of pain was this, this quiet, shaky utterance that crossed the distance between one's lips and the other's ears. This was a soft rumble of pleasure, a sigh of released tension. _God, I've waited so long for this,_ were the only coherent thoughts running through the younger woman's mind. Everything else was consumed with a warm, fuzzy glow that she could only describe as _Love_.

Twin searing points of fire trailed all across the secret places of her body, the pain vanishing quickly enough that it only added to the relaxing sensations of the other woman's affectionate attentions.

_I promise you our first time is going to be someplace a lot more special than some alley before a mission._

More memories, unwillingly relived in the span of only a few seconds; the paler of the two almost growled in frustration. _Now wasn't the time for this._

Warm liquid flowed freely in rivulets down soft, flushed expanses of rosy flesh, scalding in its heat but still utterly glacial compared to the sensation of her partner's plasma-wreathed, jade-skinned hands.

The heroine bit back a cry as the pain peaked suddenly before easing completely as the villainess moved on, transferring her attention to less…sensitive areas of her body.

And then her moans continued as her partner worked her magic.

Finally, after an eternity of blissful sensations, pleasure enhanced by only the slightest hint of pain, the elder female withdrew her blazing hands from her partner and quickly ran her left through her long, flowing ebony hair. This was no wig; it had been a long time since she'd had to resort to that.

Then, satisfied, that she'd composed herself, Shego bent down over her companion and purred in her ear seductively, "told you we could do it, _Angel_."

Kimberly Possible looked up from where she lay on her stomach in the bathtub, arms at her sides and legs stretched straight out behind her, lightly touching each other at knees and ankles, hot water streaming down her nude body from the faucet over the upper end of her back. Bright green eyes stared into dark green orbs, conveying all the emotion that words failed to accurately describe.

Then, grinning from ear-to-ear, Kim pushed herself to her feet and climbed out of the tub, wrapping a towel around herself as she thought about what had just happened. "I know I've complained about fighting _Pisces International_ cronies, but that just made up for everything, I think. I feel like I could take on a thousand of them at once." She reached down to shut off the water and yank the plug.

Shego replied with a knowing smile, "I'll bet you do – next time we come back from a mission and you're all tense and irritable, you know what I'm going to have to do."

Kim nodded, gazing back down into the quickly emptying bathtub. "I can always count on you, Shego, can't I?" She smiled again and looked up at her wife, eyes glowing with mischief as she delivered her last witty quip of the evening, her lips being…otherwise engaged for the remainder of the day's hours.

"You give the best massages, Shego."

* * *

**Author: **Ha! Bet you thought this was going to be the other edge of that cliffy, huh? Well, you guessed wrong! I just wasted your time! No, that was mean – I'm sorry. I just felt like putting something in to break the tension a little, so I figured, what kind of scene would work? Well, I hope this was alright, but in case it wasn't – don't worry, we're going back on track, now…

**Next Chapter:** Back to "Four Years Later" (See Chapter 13 if you just completely blew your mind and forgot where we were in our tale).


	15. Shego's got the Blues Part 2

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Fourteenth – Shego's got the Blues – Part Two – Situation Uncontainable.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. Okay, seriously, now. If you've made it this far in the story, **YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS! **Stop reading if a same-sex pairing offends you

**Rating:** PG-15. Some language.

**Spoilers:** None…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** We left under the impression that Shego had just willingly accepted Drakken's mind control chip. Did she really? Now:

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**Chapter XIV**

As she listened to Kim's rapid footsteps fading to complete and utter silence, Shego turned around to face Drakken, the tiny, innocent-appearing microchip still resting dormant in her hand. _I can't believe I'm doing this_. "Promise me one thing, Dr Dee – in addition to that cure."

Drakken's replying tone was sickeningly sweet – and it made Shego want to gag. "Whatever is within my power, my dear Shego; after all, I _will_ have to take care of you for five years, so anything that will make it easier for you is yours." The sliver of a self-satisfied smile contradicted the almost subservient nature of his words.

Shego felt her insides churn uneasily when she remembered a half-forgotten fact about this little blue man. He had, at one time at least, believed that he loved her – and it had been nothing like the bond she now shared with one beautiful and irresistible Kim Possible. _His_ had most definitely been the manipulative and selfish variety of love, so unlike Kimmie's. Sure, Kim had played with Shego's mind back in her house earlier that day, but that had only been to drive Shego up out of the depression that her own words had created within her. And for that, Shego would be immeasurably grateful.

Drakken probably wouldn't be so considerate.

Shuddering at the thought of being forced to participate in Drakken's twisted perversion of romance, Shego forced herself to press on. "Promise me you won't involve Possible in any of your schemes – victim, accomplice, or otherwise."

Drakken heaved a deep sigh of exasperation, and Shego almost grinned. Almost. _Thank God for Blue Boy's naïveté._ "This respect you have for the do-gooder has clearly gotten way out of hand, Shego…" His grumbling was quiet, but easily heard through Shego's experience-trained ears. "But alright," he raised his voice finally, speaking more clearly as he consented to something that must have sounded quite ludicrous. "Fair enough – I accept. Not a single hair from Kim Possible's head will be found anywhere near my operations for the next five years. Is that good enough for you?"

Shego studied the man intently, and not a little suspiciously. "I'll hold you to this deal, Drakken." She moved toward the arrogant little man, easily towering over his tiny frame. "I promise you this," she held two un-gloved fingers under his chin, perilously close to the man's larynx. "If you double cross me again, I _will_ get free, and when I do, the beating I gave you last time will look like a paper cut in comparison."

Drakken spread his hands before himself innocently, harmlessly – and he smiled far too sweetly for Shego's comfort. "My dear, Shego – surely you can see that I am no match for your quite formidable martial arts skills, so how would I dare to even conceive to betray you? Uh – Again." He laughed warmly "With a threat as you've just given me, I'd be a fool to pull a stunt like that."

Shego just kept staring at the man. He was certainly a study in contradictions; his smile and body language were welcoming inviting trust and peace, but his emotions were a colourful mixture of excitement, glee, anticipation, and no small pinch of arrogance and pride. Altogether the scent-flavour Doctor Drakken's mind was giving off was sweet enough to kill a candy store, and Shego's experience of taste-smelling it was something not unlike having an entire four kilo bag of sugar jammed simultaneously up her nose and down her throat,. This made Drakken's emotional bouquet at once aggravating and infuriating, because one – the sweet flavour was enough to turn Shego's stomach; and two – no one ever force fed her anything if they knew what was best for them; and three – there wasn't a more appealing mind close by to provide any form of relief.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, _Shego found herself thinking suddenly.

She'd never tell Kim, but she had to admit it to herself at the very least. She had to confess that all of Kim's arguments had brought her to within a single hair's breadth of telling Drakken to go screw himself and then shoving his cure and his mind control straight up his ass – plasma-wreathed hands included. But, Kim's last statement had made Shego's mind certain on her chosen course. Kim might be willing to trade a thousand lifetimes without Shego's touch in order that she may preserve her partner's integrity, but that was just more proof that the adorable little heroine was more a giver than a receiver.

Shego wasn't so willing to make that sacrifice. If she were totally honest with herself, Shego would have to admit that since she embraced her real feelings for her former nemesis, a bit of a giving attitude had been growing within her as well – but only for a certain emerald-eyed _Princess_. The rest of the world could tear itself to pieces for all she cared.

But to spend a lifetime on the receiving end of care as complete and loving as Kimmie's with no chance of ever returning the gestures? Shego wouldn't allow it – she _couldn't_ allow it. Kim deserved something in return for her willingness to forsake any hope of feeling Shego's touch without the inevitable pain that always accompanied it – _especially_ because she was so freely willing to cast her own needs and desires aside for her partner.

Said partner had never _really_ thought that Kim was glad to be…untouchable, as it were, but the thought had – to her shame – nagged at her more than a few times since they'd "confronted" each other in her hotel room. _I mean…why in God's name is she so willing to have a relationship when there's no way in this life we'll ever be capable of intimacy? I know we could do it with my gloves, but I refuse to go that far and be so handicapped that I can't feel her._

Shego shook her head slowly from side to side, awed once again at how quickly she'd gone soft – how eagerly her world had shifted to accommodate her unlikely companion. _I know our feelings go so far beyond physical, but – damn! I want the physical too. God – to hold that girl in my arms and not have to worry about where my hands are – to slide my fingers across her face and be free to revel in the softness and warmth of her instead of straining to hold in a plasma bolt? Five years of my Pride is a small price to pay for that._

"Alright," Shego finally replied. _I never thought I'd ever do this for anyone, but Kimmie – you're worth it. God – you're worth so much more to me. Five years of service to Drakken for the rest of a lifetime with you? I'd do it in a heartbeat, and that's what scares me the most…_

Shego glanced back down at the innocuous – and almost benign-looking – microchip in her safely gloved hand. "You've got yourself a deal, Drakken."

Without waiting for a reply from the smug little man in front of her, Shego raised the chip up to her left temple with one finger. _See you in five years, Kimmie._ Then, she stabbed the chip on her finger into her head with one short, jabbing motion.

The instant the chip made contact with her skin, Shego felt its neural interfacing circuits take hold and her entire body was wracked with pain – pain light years beyond anything she had experienced since the last time Drakken had hit her with this thing – pain like she'd just driven a steel rail spike straight into her own head instead of a square of silicon and circuitry. Every muscle in the tall villainess' body seized up on her, torn between the conflicting commands of two masters for the barest few seconds. Shego's brain was telling her body to writhe and contort at the excruciating pain, but the delicate circuits of Drakken's Neural Compliance chip were ordering her to remain motionless unless otherwise instructed by the programmed owner.

Then, just like that, the pain was gone as the mind control chip asserted control over Shego's body, roughly shoving the villainess into the farthest corner of her own mind. _Well_, she thought; _better settle in for the duration – it's gonna be a long five years…_

The first thing that Shego noticed – aside from the whole mind control aspects of the situation, of course – was the complete and total emotional _vacuum_ that surrounded her. The same thing had happened the last time; the mind control chip had cleanly cut her off from her empathy. Last time, it had been something of a relief at first – to be suddenly free of the constant emotional noise – like leaving an exciting Rock concert that threatened to burst her eardrums with every sound. But, in the end, after the couple days it took for Kim's dweeby brothers to fry the chip, after forty-eight hours of that cavernous silence, Shego had begun to crave that constant background hum of other minds once more. Because, when it came down to the wire, a great concert was still a _great_ concert – despite damaged eardrums.

Shego's first whiff of emotions after being freed from that first chip had been like crawling and clawing her way up out of the darkest, coldest abysmal cavern in the world and into the brilliant sunshine of the upper world. Usually, Shego wasn't one to seek out sunshine, but after spending days stuck in the cold darkness, who wouldn't chase after the light? The fact that Kim Possible had been standing next to her at the time had made the return of her empathy all the sweeter. _Oh, man – how much more intense will it be after five years to have Kim beside me again?_

Hoping that thought could sustain her for the coming years, that the promise of how passionate their reunion was likely to be could keep her hope alive, Shego settled down in her little corner of her mind and prepared herself for the inevitable ranting monologue that the blue-faced man before her was sure to grace her ears with now that she couldn't just ignore him like she used to.

"Excellent!" Drakken clapped his hands, rubbing them together gleefully and bouncing on his feet like an excited child with a new toy. "I knew you would see things my way." His tone darkened considerably. "You made the right choice, Shego. Oh, the things I could do now…"

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!"

The voice was high, articulate, and oh-so-eye-poppingly emotionless, devoid of any sign of intelligence whatsoever. More painful than that, however, was the fact that the brainless, airy words had emerged from between Shego's own two lips. _Damn_, she thought furiously, trapped deep inside her own body. _This is going to be a much longer five years than I thought if I already want to tear my own vocal chords out of my throat_. She sighed mentally; _oh well, I made my deal – now I have to live with it._

Drakken let out a short burst of creepy laughter, his dark, beady little eyes shining sinisterly. "I had to make a few more promises than I would have expected in order to get you to agree to this deal, Shego. But," his grin became devilish but lost most of its effect because the man's skin was still blue no matter how one looked at him. "Fortunately for me, being a villain entitles me to certain…_liberties_ regarding my word and whether I actually have to keep it."

Shego was sure her blood would have frozen in her veins if she had been in control of her body. _God Dammit!_ _Why didn't I listen to Kimmie? What the Hell's he got planned for me now that I can't defend myself?_

The trapped woman knew no rescue would be forthcoming – not for at least five years. Kim wouldn't be making any heroic attempts to save her because, for better or worse, she and Shego each held a great deal of respect for the other. The mutual respect that flowed between them was what made them who they were. It was one of the reasons Kim had never used the full extent of her powers to destroy her nemesis, why Shego had eventually turned her back on the idea of killing the girl, and it was the reason Kim wasn't going to go back on her word. Sure, Kim had disagreed with Shego's decision and had tried to dissuade her partner from taking the course she had seen as a colossally bad idea, but in the end, she'd accepted Shego's decision to take Drakken's offer –simply because it was _her_ decision to make. In the end, Kim stood by Shego's choice and hoped for the best for her lover.

For perhaps the first time in her life, Shego almost wished Kim's respect had failed for just the single instant it would have taken to drag Shego from the room. Of course, if Kim _had_ thrown her respect by the wayside, Shego would not have known about her new slave master's ulterior motives – kinda transparent now that she thought about it – and she would likely never have forgiven Kim for her meddling.

Not for a very, very long time at least.

Talk about, "damned if you do, damned if you don't."

So, the way things stood now, Shego had five years of torture to live through before a rescue appeared in any form – but she was stubbornly determined to _live_ through it, if only to hear Kim say, "I told you so" in that oh-so-annoying way. Shego doubted that phrase could sound any more refreshing, any more _beautiful_ than from between the lips of her newfound love. And if it cost her five years of pain to get to hold Kim in her arms – _gloves or not_ – she would endure. If Shego had to go through Hell – if she had to experience a hundred years of agony for the five she'd agreed to just because her heroine was too noble to force the villainess' hand, she would survive.

_But I won't blame her for this,_ Shego resolved from her corner._ This was _my_ doing, not hers. I'm a prisoner because I chose to be so, not because Kim _didn't_ act._

"Well, my dear henchwoman," Dr Drakken sneered at her arrogantly, all pretence of chivalry and politeness gone. _Yeah, I'd love to see how arrogant you'd be if I were free – you little blue punk._ "Where shall I begin? Oh, the choices are simply _endless_!" He threw his hands up in the air and spun in a circle, bouncing on his toes like a giddy – and insane – schoolgirl. "When last we met, your attitude towards me was quite unacceptable – we'll have to work on that."

_Oh,_ Shego mused. _Breaking both your legs, dislocating both your shoulders, and nearly snapping your neck – not to mention bruising the rest of you up rather nicely – is "unacceptable"?_ Shego made a mental note of that. _Well, damn it all – what would you consider to be unforgivable – would I have to hang you by your intestines? I think I could do it with the way I'm feeling now…_

Drakken grew more serious, almost pensive. "It took me a long time to figure out how you discovered the truth behind my ruse…the true _genius_ behind your transformation. While I languished in Global Justice's improved prison facility, I turned this all over in my head." Blue Boy stopped for a moment and laughed like he'd just told a hilarious joke. "Oh, I was plotting how best I could take my revenge from you as well, make no mistake – but first I had to escape without your help." He grinned self-righteously. "Well, _Global Justice_ couldn't hold a man of _my_ intellect for very long, could they?" He chortled wildly again.

_Oh, please_. Shego almost felt her eyes roll. _I've got more brains in my foot than you have between your ears. GJ probably staged the jailbreak for you…cut the power to their own facility for a few hours or something like that._

"But one thing always made me think." Drakken was still rambling, throwing fuel onto Shego's fury and rage with every single word. "In the end, I had to simply assume that Kim Possible told you something, but that presumption never really sat well enough with me." He began to limp slowly around Shego's standing form, gesturing animatedly. "I mean – what could she possibly have said that would compel you to go against _me_? For three years, I supported you – I _provided_ for you. I gave you everything you asked…" _Yeah, except the truth about my entire changed view of the world, you lying, perverted, idiotic rat of a man…_ "Why did you trust her – how could you possibly have managed to find it in yourself to believe anything that accursed cheerleader said? What power could she possess that could pierce through and undo the masterpiece I had created – that could unweave the web I made by so tarnishing her name?"

"You are a bad liar, Doctor Drakken!"

_Yeah, and I've got something called a brain – what?_

Trapped deep within her mind, Shego perked up; those had been _her_ words not the chip's. Granted, _her _response to the blue wonder's last question had been a little harsher, and had contained more than a few pretty vulgar and graphic references to members of his family and certain…sensitive areas of his anatomy, but what she'd said out loud had been very close to her desired reply. _Now, lose the repulsively cheerful tone, and that might have almost sounded like me._

The first chip Drakken had used – stolen – had turned its wearers into mindless yes-men – or rather, yes-women since only Kim and Shego had been unfortunate enough to get caught with it. This had left both girls unable to say anything rude or remotely insulting to their oh-so-detestable master.

_This_ chip, on the other hand, had allowed Shego's mind to shine through for a brief second to _almost_ say what she'd been thinking. So, either Drakken's second generation chips were programmed to allow a higher leniency for individuality, or Shego's mind was succeeding in partially wrestling control back from the chip. Both seemed unlikely – Drakken being a little biased against backtalk and Shego's empathy seeming a poor weapon against mind control. On the other hand, Shego could think of no other reasons why the chip on her head had allowed her to speak even the mildly insulting words that she had.

Drakken's annoying voice broke into her thoughts, intruding on the somewhat-comfortable silence. "Now, you see? As I turned my problem over in my hands, I began to see what it was that made you such a strong willed woman, for I knew that your greatest strength would also be your greatest weakness."

_Oh, enlighten me please, you brainless sack of flesh…_

"It was _Pride_. Your pride in your comet-given powers as well as in your quick wit, and many other traits made you a formidable opponent but if I could strip that from you, you would quickly fall to my own superior evil. Without your Pride, your mind would become putty in my hands, paint on my palette."

_You delusional, blind little man…_Shego wanted to deck the man for even suggesting that she was nothing more than a personality trait. Even before the past thirty-six hours had happened, Shego had embodied more than just her pride. Not much, but there was more to her than _Pride_. But…now that she thought about it, the Shego that Drakken knew really _had_ been ruled by Pride; pride in her abilities, pride in her independent, free spirit, in her fast mouth and faster fists…and even a little pride in her Plasma, the ability to blast through bomb shelters with the ease of making a wish on dandelions. If Drakken had indeed stripped her of her pride, it could very well have destroyed her. But, four years of _real_ freedom and a true friend in Norway had taught Shego a few things, both about herself and about her own true, unfiltered view of the world. Without Drakken to keep annoying her and taint her self image and her worldly view, Shego had rediscovered her core values and dreams. And now, now that Shego had given part of herself to someone – it was _love_ after all, or at least, she was pretty sure it was love – there was no way in this world or the next that Drakken could ever kill her the way he wanted. He wanted an obedient sidekick who would serve as a convenient prison for his wild, individualistic sidekick. But, with Kim holding a part of Shego in her heart – knowingly or not – Shego could survive anything. And once Kim came to rescue and restore Shego…

Heaven help the blue man.

"You know, Shego," Drakken went on, having completely ignored or dismissed her earlier spoken comment. "You _really_ shouldn't have been so angry with me back then – you could have been thanking me."

_Oh, really?_

"After all, it was _my_ mutagenic formula that has made you the woman – the _villain_ – that you are today."

_Don't you even start, Drakken…_

Drakken continued his slow, impaired walk around Shego, "I remember what you told me after that whole Team Go incident, Shego – as well as some things about your past that I dug up on my own. Oldest of your family and without a Go Team Glow… your younger years must have been difficult. But, the Harold Grimer incident makes it absolutely clear that you were a force to fear. Nevertheless, as dangerous as you were in your youth, you would still be _nothing_ without me. Without my _genius_, you would still be nothing more than a heroine _playing_ at villainy."

Shego felt her rage rising like a volcano at Drakken's words. _Oh, you did not just say that. I was a thousand times the villain you ever even thought you were – Plasma or not._

"You should have been on your knees _thanking _me for it all when you found out it was me." Drakken came around Shego to stand in front of her and stare into her eyes with far more bravado than she would have expected. It was most likely due to the fact that she couldn't fight back this time. "My gift to you has made you one-of-a-kind – unique – _the best_. Your Plasma makes you the most dangerous woman alive on this planet – and once upon a time, that was all you'd ever wanted. I will remind you of those times." He turned away for a second but then looked straight up into Shego's eyes, "I will remind you what it feels like to be a dangerous woman – a force to be reckoned with."

_Just what are you planning, you sad, sad little man?_

"But first," Drakken paused dramatically – absurdly, "first you will see how much of a Great your plasma will make you when used by the right mind." He stopped for a moment before continuing in a slow, contemplative voice, "We were together for three years, Shego, and not once were you ever able to carry out the one task I created you for." _Oh, no…_ "Oh sure, you certainly injured her every once in a while, oftentimes less seriously than not, but time and again, Kim Possible foiled my plans. Time after time, you had her _at your mercy _and you choked."

_Oh – God, no…_

Shego felt her horror rising as Drakken's voice took on an arrogant, snivellingly victorious tone, "I always knew something was holding you back, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it might be your own feelings for that girl. Well, no longer," Dr Drakken drew himself up to his full height, which actually wasn't impressive in the least. "From this moment on, your absurd and frivolous respect for Kim Possible is nothing more than a phantom of memory. Under _my_ control and guidance, you will finally be ruthless enough to fight the one battle that will make you complete – the one victory that you've always wanted." Drakken paused again. "You'll finally be top dog around this world, and then you'll thank me for it; you will thank me everyday for it."

Shego struggled vainly against the chip's control. _It's not what I want, Drakken! It wasn't ever when I wanted – and even when I thought it was, it was on _my_ terms._

"With Kim Possible out of the way forever, _you_ my dear Shego will finally be the most dangerous villain alive, and then…then we shall be unstoppable."

_Drakken…if I ever get free, I'll make you suffer so much you'll wish your _ancestors _were never born._ Shego felt her rage giving way to desperation as she realized she wouldn't be able to stop what Drakken had planned for her partner.

"Shego," an evil grin spread across Dr Drakken's face.

_No – don't_. Shego's anger and rage finally fell away and her pride shattered to reveal the truly pitiful state to which her mind had already fallen, not five minutes after getting chipped. _I won't kill her – I will never become a murderer for you, do you hear me? I will never kill Kim Possible!_ Shego denied her master's obvious intentions with everything she had, but she knew the truth. Deep down, she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself if Drakken ordered her to take her plasma to her lover's beautiful, smooth face.

"…It is time…"

_No…_

"_Bring me Kim Possible_. Unharmed."

Shego blinked as her hands moved automatically to slip on her other almleti-lined glove, giving the other one a testing tug to make sure it was secure.

_Well, I guess that isn't _so_ bad…_

_Idiot._

* * *

It was really disheartening how little time it took to find Kim.

Under the control of Drakken's chip, Shego followed the shortest route to her bike and found her prey immediately outside the slagged lower door of the Lair. It looked like the heroine had simply collapsed on the stairs that led up to the street.

_Dammit, Kimmie – why did you stop?_ Shego stopped walking when she was within reach of the prone redhead. "Doctor Drakken has demanded your capture, Kim Possible. You will come with me."

Looking up slowly, Kim revealed a pale, tear-streaked face to Shego, and the cold-hearted villainess wanted nothing more than to gather the younger woman up into her arms and wipe those tears from her face.

_God, Kimmie – why are you torturing yourself like this? Get out – I can't protect you…_

"Shego?" Kim's bright emerald eyes searched her partner's blank expression, looking for something. "I know you're in there, Shego," she whispered fearfully, brokenly. "I know you can hear me – you can see me – but I can't _feel_ you anymore. It's like you're not even here…" Kim's searching eyes became desperate and they moved faster, probing deeper into the twin pools of empty, lifeless green darkness. "I'm so scared I won't ever see you again – the _real_ you…not this…_thing_ that Drakken's made you into."

Shego felt that confession like a knife to her stomach. _I'm here!_ She screamed it as loud as she could into the maelstrom that dominated her mind, the complex, swirling thoughts and processes that she could no longer control. She screamed it with Drakken's chip holding her down – holding her back – straining to move on her own, lift a finger…_anything_ to tell Kim that she was all right.

Even as her hands reached out for Kim, Shego shrieked in her mind. _I'm here, Kim – now stop crying and run! I can't stop this from happening._

Her hands closed around Kim's shoulders, her arms roughly pulling the redhead tight against her. "Do not resist, Kim Possible." Shego felt her grip on her prisoner tighten and she began to march back into the Lair.

"Don't worry, Shego." Kim whispered as she relaxed in Shego's unresponsive, iron grip. "I know you're not in control anymore and I don't blame you for anything that's about to happen."

Shego was a little too busy panicking for Kim's words to reassure her. _Oh, God no…he's not planning to – no! Never again!_

But as the two of them made their way back to Drakken's room, Shego felt a growing suspicion that her worst thoughts were going to be proven right.

And Drakken's reaction to the sight of Kim Possible restrained in Shego's arms certainly didn't help matters.

"Ah – welcome, Kim Possible!" Drakken beamed at Shego as she hauled Kim back into the room – as if she'd run off and captured the slim redhead all on her own. "There you go, Shego – now doesn't that feel better? The proper order is restored – hero and villain so clearly divided and unevenly matched."

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!"

Well, so much for not being a brainless yes-woman.

Inside – needless to say –, Shego was seething with rage uncontrollable, her mind an incoherent mess of dark, violent thoughts. It was only when Drakken reached out to Kim where she stood trapped in Shego's grip that her thoughts became clear enough to perceive. It was like the immediate threat to Kim's safety triggered an intense and almost Jedi-ish focus in Shego's mind, where all emotion was stilled and only conscious thought remained.

_If you lay a single hand on her, you vile and disgusting worm, I'll make you eat that hand; slowly, raw, and still attached to your arm. I swear, you'd better be on your knees after this – praying to God that I _never_ get free._

It didn't even register until it was too late that Drakken had just attached a Neural Compliance chip to Kim's forehead. _No!_

_No, no, no, no, no…!_

Even in the midst of her stubborn, desperate, despairing denial, Shego felt Kim stiffen in her arms as the chip took hold, and she could easily imagine the grim expression of pain that her partner now wore. As Kim started to jerk and spasm wildly against her captor, Shego worried that perhaps Kim's more…unique mind was having trouble letting go of control – unlike Shego's own slightly less powerful mind. _But that doesn't make any sense, _she thought. _She was a telepath back then, too – wasn't she?_

Finally, after maybe a full minute of thrashing, Shego's captive relaxed in her arms and Drakken went into full monologue mode again.

"Well now, girls; once again, I have the two of you under my complete control – as long as the prime directives remain operative." He grinned widely as if he had no clue that he'd just told them the weakness in the microchips' construction – the chink in their armour. Of course, awareness of a weakness was one thing. Knowing what the prime directives were in the first place and having the freedom to _exploit_ that weakness was something else entirely.

"Go on, Shego," Drakken ordered smoothly. "You may release Ms Possible now – she won't be going anywhere, will you, Kimberly-Anne?"

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!"

"No, Doctor Drakken!"

Shego and Kim both chimed in their replies together, and Shego felt an overwhelming urge to tear _both_ their throats out. _God Dammit,_ she fumed, _Airhead in stereo…_

Shego felt her hands loosen from around Kim's shoulders and she despaired when her partner made no move to run or tear Drakken a new one, remaining instead trapped in her own body. Just like Shego.

_Would you take a look at us? _Shego considered the situation they were in. _Who would have thought we could be such chumps? I actually thought that Drakken might be on the level…how about you, Kimmie? Did you fall for his whole sales pitch?_

"Now, Kim Possible." Drakken reached into his blue lab coat-slash-coverall and fiddled with some object. "You have a great deal of respect for my Shego, don't you?"

_Your Shego? Please._

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!"

And how do you feel about the situation in which I have placed her – how do you feel about the fact that she cannot use her hands without a solid barrier of my specially designed Drakk-alloy?"

_Drakk-alloy – are you serious?_ Shego felt disbelief and annoyance rise up together in her own mind. _Well,_ she thought. _I suppose it's better than Drakcanada._

"It's sad," Kim's hollow voice replied simply, elaborating no further.

"Oh, is that so? Well then –."

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!"

"Shut it!" Drakken barked suddenly before pouting immaturely. "I'm ranting, Possible, so let me be."

"Yes, Doctor –!"

"What did I just say?" Drakken snapped at Kim and then tapped his foot impatiently, waiting to see if Kim would speak again. Kim fell silent, but Shego was giggling ever so slightly deep inside her own mind, grateful for the much needed comic relief in this hopeless situation. _Oh, man…it's like Abbott and Costello. I needed that…_

"Thank you, Kimberly." Drakken turned to face Shego, "now where was I? Don't answer that," he amended even as the pale villainess felt her lips parting to answer the question. Her black-painted lips slammed back together at the blue man's command, leaving Shego to curse the insane little man's existence from the aching solitude of her head. "Now, Kim Possible – how would it make you feel if Shego managed to be cured of her…condition? If she were to suddenly become able to touch whomever she wished whenever she pleased?"

"I would be very happy for her." The bland, airy monotone with which Kim delivered her reply sounded completely absurd and thoroughly irritating as it emerged from between Kim's lips and pierced into Shego's ears like flaming arrows.

"Oh?" Drakken seemed genuinely surprised. "Well, well, well – will you look at this, Shego?" He grinned gleefully as his scheme apparently went off without a hitch. "It would seem, my dear, that you and Miss Possible share a very powerful mutual respect for one another – one that continues to baffle me." Dr Drakken turned to Kim once more, "And what would you do with your happiness then, eh Kimberly?"

"I would celebrate with her."

_Ain't that the truth?_ Shego imagined what kind of things she would do with Kim if she had her hands back – even for no more than an hour.

Drakken nodded slowly, a small devious smirk spreading across his round face. "Aha – thank you, Kim Possible; you have just given me a wonderful idea – the perfect way to torture both of you." He withdrew his hand from inside his jumpsuit, bringing into view that now-familiar vial of rosy pink fluid. "Here, Kim – if you would be so kind as to hold this for me...that's a girl." He gave a gleeful grin when Kim's hand came up to accept the small object from him. "Now, come – stand right _here_. Turn to face us…good." Drakken turned to Shego. "Watch closely now, Shego; Kim Possible here is about to do the one thing you will never forgive her for – the one crime for which there can be _no _absolution."

Shego could have sworn she felt her own heart transform into a solid mass of ice in her chest. _No – don't you dare, Drakken. Don't you fucking dare!_

But Drakken couldn't hear Shego, and his attention was still firmly fixed upon his latest addition to his army of minions. "Kim Possible," he began in a cool voice that only barely managed to hide his excitement. "Do you see that vial in your hand?"

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!"

Drakken stared straight at Shego.

"_Drop it_."

There was a single moment's hesitation, during which Kim's hand seemed to tighten its grip – almost as if she was trying to keep her hold on the vial – but then the tiny vial was released from her hand. Almost in slow motion, the vial plummeted through space to strike the concrete floor of Dr Drakken's lair.

In the complete silence that pervaded the room, a sharp but barely audible _clink_ marked the impact of the vial with the floor. Shego could do nothing but watch as the tiny container shattered on contact, scattering the scant few millilitres of healing liquid onto the floor to make a small pool at Kim's feet.

"There you see?" Drakken gestured to the floor between Kim's feet. "And so ends any hope of you _ever_ getting that cure, Shego."

Those words, coupled with the sight of the shattered vial on the floor, ignited the inferno that was Shego's radioactive rage. _I'll give you no hope, you pompous, self-absorbed, manipulative horse's ass! Just give me one fucking second of freedom and I'll get that cure from you._

"Oh," Drakken interrupted Shego's thoughts as if he'd just had a sudden idea. "And if you're entertaining the notion of torturing me for the cure, my dear, I wouldn't hope for much. Torturing me will do you no good because I really can't help you. I destroyed all my notes and research on Shego's powers, and then I used my brain scanning devices to remove all knowledge of the cure so _that_ won't work for you either." He stopped talking suddenly and turned to point one finger squarely at his former sidekick. "Do you see, Shego? I have won. The game is _mine_! From now until the day you die, you exist for the sole purpose of serving me."

Shego was awestruck. Who knew that such cruelty lay within this unimpressive little man – such _insanity_?

_Then again_, she thought; _I_ did _leave him half-dead in his own Lair last time. That's probably enough to drive anyone over the edge._

While Shego stood lost in her own thoughts, Drakken had moved on to other business, "Now Kim, why don't you get started cleaning up the Lair? Make yourself familiar with the layout of this place and then work from top to bottom."

"Yes, Doctor Drakken!" Kim started to move, but Drakken's voice stopped her mid-step.

"Oh, and one more thing, Possible," Drakken stepped over to his redheaded puppet and rested one hand on her shoulder, "don't go cleaning any of the floors; that will be Shego's job." Moving away from Kim, Doctor Drakken dismissed her from his mind with a careless wave of his hand. "You may go – now, Shego," he drew in close to the villainess. "I think it's time we put that sharp tongue of yours to better use. The floors could all use a good cleaning – remember now, Shego – _top to bottom_."

Before Drakken could actually give the order, however, a sharp crackle of electricity erupted from behind him, causing him to turn in order to face the disruption. "What are you doing, Possible? I thought I told you to…" His voice trailed off in his sudden confusion as he tried to understand exactly what he was seeing.

Kim had started to leave the room as soon as Drakken had dismissed her, but she now stood frozen at the threshold, just in front of the hole Shego had blasted out of the door. She had one hand on the edge of the cooled opening, but her arm was trembling visibly – like it was torn between wanting to pull herself through the hole or push off the door and back into the room.

Drakken pretended to know what to do, of course, as was the norm for the delusional man. "Unit 2," he addressed Kim, "revert to user interface mode."

Her motions instantly robotic once more, Kim's arm relaxed and her spine stiffened as she walked quickly to stand in front of Drakken. "Acknowledged – awaiting user input."

_Whoa! _Shego was shocked to hear the tone that emerged from between her partner's lips. This wasn't the high-pitched, excited babbling voice that Shego had come to associate with mind control chips. No, Kim's voice was now even more lacking emotion, more robotic and totally devoid of any of the unconscious inflections of voice that differentiated one person from another, the natural rise and fall of tone, the infinite variations of pronunciation that made every voice unique. It was as if Kim was speaking through a voice synthesizer now or a computer program, which – considering what Drakken had just said - was entirely possible.

"Unit 2: run full diagnostic on host mind and report current status." Drakken's voice held a slight tremor of fear as he wrung his hands uneasily, giving Shego everything she needed to know that all was not well in Drakken-land – that his Neural Compliance chip might not be so flawless.

_Go, Kimmie,_ Shego encouraged, finally catching on. _Fight it!_

But still the robotic tone streamed from Kim's mouth. "Accessing," her head tilted to one side as if she was listening for something. "Emotional stress level has increased to 70 percent of manageable parameters."

Drakken relaxed visibly, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. "Well, wasn't _that_ rather interesting?"

There was another _snap-crackle_ of electrical discharge, and Shego could swear she saw a spark of static lightning bounce from somewhere on Kim's forehead to the chip that was firmly affixed there, creating the smallest burn to the circuits. And the pale villainess thought she could almost smell the slightest taint of fear and rage in the air, but her powers were suppressed.

_Weren't they?_

"Emotional strain increased to 80 percent of maximum controllable level."

"What – no!" Dr Drakken panicked instantly. "Unit 2: activate emergency restraint protocol."

Kim jumped again as yet another spark leapt across the chip on her face, creating a second patch of carbon scoring. "Command invalid. Core programming code corrupted. Unknown psychic anomaly detected – status, uncontrollable." She twitched once more and three sparks sprang from her head to the chip at once, combining together just before they struck – almost as if it was some kind of coordinated attack. "Emotional strain exceeding tolerable limits – Restraint protocols insufficient – emergency restraint inoperable. Prime directive corruption detected – failure imminent."

The sparks began to come faster and brighter, gaining intensity the longer the disruption went on. Shego watched with growing worry as burns began to appear on Kim's face just as easily as on the chip. Shego couldn't tell if Kim was actually consciously trying to destroy the chip or if she was just struggling wildly, but one thing she _could_ tell was that her partner was either going to be freed in the end or she was going to die from the strain all the electrical feedback was no doubt causing to her system. Despite Kim's confidence that she could absorb lightning, this much electricity just had to be wreaking havoc with her body.

Drakken started to back away slowly, his eyes wide with a primal terror that gave Shego great pleasure to see. _Oh, you're in for it now, Dr Dee._ "Now, Kim – I know we've had our differences…I know you're probably very angry right now, but we can be civilized about this, can't we? Can't we let bygones be bygones – just this once? We can do _that_, can't we?" His back smacked soundly into the corner of the room farthest from the room's only door. Shego would have rolled her eyes at the clueless man's poor direction of retreat. _You are such a fruitcake…_

"No," Kim ground out between clenched teeth – the _real_ Kim. "We," she flinched as the chip on her forehead exploded with dozens of tiny arcs of static lightning, "_can't_!"

Then, with a final caress of electricity on silicon circuitry, there was a small explosive flash, followed closely by an ear-splitting shriek of pain from Kim. The tiniest wisp of smoke puffed out of the chip and rose away into the air as Kim's cries died, and then the scorched and blackened microchip fell away from her face. It tumbled to land on the cold grey floor, where it was instantly crushed by the heel of a black hiking boot – size seven.

"God _Dammit!_" Kim's right hand flew to her forehead while her left remained slack at her side. Her next words were mumbled more or less to herself, but Shego was close enough to overhear. "I am_ so_ done with getting shot full of electricity today. Someone is about to get the beating of his lifetime…"

As Kim let her hand fall away from her face, Shego was relieved to see that the many small burns all over her partner's forehead had already disappeared, healed over at the expense of a miniscule portion of her body's water. Kim's face was completely without injury, but the rising fury and cold, calculating murder in the younger woman's eyes promised wrath and _destruction_ for a certain blue-faced scientist.

Not that he was _completely_ aware of that little detail.

"Now, Kim…" Drakken held both hands in front of his chest to ward off his impending doom. _Yeah, as if your two tiny hands could stop Kimmie…_ "Now, Kim – um…surely we've hardly ever seen eye-to-eye, but I can concede that you really are 'all that'. I've never known anyone to be able to gain their own freedom from my Neural Compliance chip."

"Well, that's a real surprise," Kim growled. "You've only ever used the things on me and Shego." Shego thought Kim was going to rain hard, cold retribution on the cowering little man, but the redhead's eyes calmed, her body relaxing considerable. Apparently, Kim Possible was in a more talkative mood than Shego would have been.

"So," Drakken relaxed a hair, having realized dimly that his life wasn't entirely in danger. Yet. "Would you care to explain how you managed to break my chip's control?"

Kim grinned sinisterly in a way that astounded Shego. _Wow. Who knew she had it in her?_ "I don't see why not," she began pleasantly enough. "It's not like I'll be leaving you a means to tell anyone else about this." She ignored Drakken's apprehensive frown at her last remark. "I've got to tell you, _Drew_," she moved a few steps to the left so she was firmly between the cornered scientist and the door. "Your chips don't work so well against a telepath. I don't know why I couldn't free myself last time, and frankly, I don't give a damn. Maybe it's the six years of growing my powers have gone through since the last chip," she glanced behind her. "Or, maybe it was the massive dose of emotion and thoughts you sparked in me just now – but regardless, I'm back, and you're going to regret every word you've said since we came into this room."

Drakken leaned forward, relaxing even further as his scientist's curiosity took over, displacing his rather non-existent self-preservation instinct. "You're a telepath?"

Kim didn't even have the concern to _act_ dismayed that Drakken now knew one of her many well-kept secrets. Shego was impressed by her partner's confidence; _Wow, she must really have something permanent planned for him._ "I am," Kim replied, maintaining her deathly impersonal cool, "and I have been for far longer than I've known you, so don't you get any ideas that you had something to do with it."

Her tone suddenly hardened to icy diamond consistency. "And take my advice to heart, Drew – try and think twice next time before you go trying to manipulate people into doing your bidding. Take _this _disaster for example," Kim waved a hand between herself and Shego. "All you've done is make Shego angry. I'm free, I'll find a way to get _her_ free, and _you_ are going to learn something new about making allies." She took a menacing step forward. "And here's another bit of free advice – no one degrades Shego like you were about to; not if either of us have anything to say about it."

Seeing his coming doom, Drakken tried to make a break for it, but a pair of well-aimed icicles sent him sailing back into his corner, pinning him to the steel reinforced wall by the collar and shoulder of his dark blue outfit.

"Ah, ah, ah, Drew." Kim's voice was dangerously cold as she fiddled with a third icicle that had suddenly appeared in her hand. "You know it's rude to run out when you're entertaining guests." She tapped the sharp tip of her icicle against her own cheek thoughtfully, mockingly. "And I thought that mother of yours would have taught you some form of manners."

Drakken craned his neck to get a look at what had pinned him to the wall and gaped at her once he'd gotten a good look at it. "But – ice? You said you were a telepath."

Kim smirked devilishly. "Oh, if you think I'm impressive as a telepath, you haven't seen anything yet – I promise you that, Drew." Her body rippled unnaturally and lost colour as she shifted into her base elemental form – _water_. "It's time for another lesson in Employee relations, Drakken. It's a pity you won't be able to put any of this new knowledge to good use."

Drakken – insane little man that he was – forgot completely about his precarious position in the situation as his twisted, juvenile mind homed in on the least helpful scrap of knowledge from Kim's last words. "Aha!" A sly, triumphant gleam entered into his eyes and he struck a dramatic pose, looking for all the world like a caricature of a super-villain. "Now I know your secret, Kim Possible! Your concern for my treacherous former sidekick has clearly clouded your judgement if you'd allow something like that to slip. I'll move to the Sahara, and you'll be powerless to stop me!"

Kim simply rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Hey, Drakken – get a clue. First, there's no way in this plane of existence that you're leaving this _room_ so you can cancel your vacation to Africa. And second, water evaporates, genius. Heat's not going to do anything more than slow me down."

Kim started walking toward Drakken, closing in like a circling, redheaded bird-of-prey, "And, about the whole mind control thing? I'm going to make whatever Shego did to you four years ago into a slap on the wrist. Whatever pride and dignity she left for you back then will be gone by the time I'm through with you."

Drakken struggled against the icy spikes that held him captive like an insect in a display case. "No! Ah…Shego – help me!"

Even as Shego felt her feet begin to move to comply, she heard a voice in her head that sounded curiously like Kim Possible. '**No. Stop.**' The only difference was thee was a strange _power _to Kim's words, a deep, full strength that Shego had never heard from her partner before now.

More surprising than that, however, was Shego's sudden realization that she had actually stopped walking as commanded. She was now frozen stock-still more than two metres from Kim and Drakken.

Drakken's jaw dropped in horror as he watched his only hope halted in mid-step. "No – Shego, help me _please_!"

"Aw, what's the matter, _Drew_?" Kim's voice held a note of darkest humour, a confidence that Shego recognized as her own. _Oh,_ she mused; _looks like my little Princess is growing up._ "Did you drop the strings to your puppet? I wouldn't worry so much about it. Shego," she raised her voice without turning to face the taller woman, "_leave_. I doubt you really want to be here for this."

Dr Drakken scoffed, as if he still had some form of control over the situation. "Do you really think you can wrest control away from _my_ chip?" He chortled madly, "even as a telepath, you can do _nothing_ more than stop it; even you can't undermine the compliance chip's authority."

"Oh?" Kim's raised eyebrow seemed to disagree, "then how do you explain this?" Under her breath, almost too softly to hear, Shego heard the heroine add her last words in a shaky, breathy voice. "I'm sorry, Shego."

A second later, Shego felt Kim's command take hold, easily bypassing the physical control provided by the microchip with the more…personal…psychic control she was capable of.

'**Go. Your room. Now.**'

Unable to fight again, Shego felt her body begin to move for the door. Oddly enough, though, while Drakken's chip had allowed zero leeway in her compliance, Kim's command had actually restored some small modicum of control back to Shego. So, even thought Shego couldn't stop herself from leaving the room, Shego's body at least obeyed her when she told it to turn around to walk backwards from the room; she wanted to see the look on Drakken's face as he was left alone to Kim's hopefully not-so-tender mercies. Kim's telepathic control seemed to allow it.

And it was definitely a sight to savour – almost enough for Shego to forgive Kim right on the spot for manipulating her. It was something Shego had never really thought her partner would be capable of doing. Oh, it wasn't really that big a violation in the grand scheme of things, mostly because it was _Kim_, and Shego could easily forgive her fiery-haired heroine for the intrusion. But not before they sat themselves down to have a nice, long chat about boundaries and uncontrollable circumstances. _Come to think of it,_ Shego thought – _we still haven't even had that talk about _speaking_ telepathically._

On the other hand, Drakken's reaction was far too amusing for Shego to bring herself to care about Kim's misconduct – for the moment at least.

He panicked instantly of course.

"Shego!" He reached out desperately from his corner for his departing sidekick – _former_ sidekick. "I know we've had our misunderstandings." _Misunderstandings?_ Shego laughed silently at that and felt her lips curl into as cruel a smile as she'd ever smiled. Amazing. _How about understandings? I know where you stand, and no amount of pleading will change how I feel about that. Just be glad that Kim gets to have you and it's not me that's threatening you._ "But, please –," the idiot was still trying, "you have to fight Kim Possible's control."

_Excuse me?_

"Don't leave me to her!" Drakken's voice caught, consumed with bone-chilling terror. "When I'm gone, who will protect you from her? What twisted schemes will Possible have for you – how will she abuse her power over you – how will she treat you now that you're under _her_ control?"

_Far better than you ever did, Dr Dee._ Shego was surprised to feel her own hand rising when she told it to, giving Drakken the exact response she asked of it – a distinctly Shego-like response:

A single, upraised middle finger.

Shego would have grinned widely. _Well, three cheers for Kimmie._

And then she was through the hole she'd blown out of Drakken's door with her own hands, leaving Shego in the corridor with her last view of Drakken's horrified expression seared into her memory for many nights to come.

* * *

_Not that this isn't interesting,_ Shego paced past the closed door once more, _but this is getting really frustrating._

It seemed that Kim's form of mind control was a lot more open-ended than Shego had first realized.

As soon as the green-and-black streaked door to her own suite of rooms had closed behind her, Shego had felt control of her body return to her.

For the first few seconds, all Shego could think to do was stare at her hands, willing them to turn over and move every which way – _clench fist…and relax…_ Shego's wonder rose as her gloved appendage obeyed her commands. _Fingers…wiggle…wow – I'm back._

Then, once that got old, Shego had turned to face her door, aiming to leave her room and backtrack to find her Kimmie and thank her for shutting down Drakken's chip.

Of course, she hadn't been counting on one thing, which was made abundantly clear only seconds later. What she found out was that freedom from the compliance chip required Kim to maintain _her_ control.

Shego learned this when her hand reached out for the door's controls but wouldn't actually move the last half-centimetre to touch any of the buttons. _Come on_, she pleaded with her hands, _the little yellow button. Press it!_ Shego could see and feel her arm tensing beneath her bodysuit, long, lean muscles straining and trembling – but no matter how hard she pushed, she couldn't do it. Her own body was constantly betraying her by pushing back against her with the same force, cancelling her every attempt.

Growling under her breath in annoyance – and still half-amazed that she was able to do even that much –, Shego threw off her gloves and raised her hands to charge up a plasma bolt large enough to blow a good-sized hole in the door. A moment later, she was both astonished and horrified to realize that _nothing_ was happening; the pale emerald haze that had enveloped her hands for seven years remained constant, showing Shego that no plasma bolt was forthcoming. Growing ever more frustrated by the second, Shego whirled around and blasted twin holes into the side of her television when the bolt she'd been unable to conjure suddenly discharged out of her hands spontaneously.

"God Dammit!"

Shego threw herself at the door in a fit of rage. _If I can't use bolts, it'll just take me longer to get through._

But just as her outstretched hands came within the last hair of space from the door, Shego felt her leg come up of its own volition to kick off the green-and-black painted barrier, sending her spinning away to trip over the small black sofa she'd added the last time she was here.

Finally, with a great sigh of defeat, Shego resigned herself to the fact that she had free reign over her body as long as she stopped trying to leave her quarters.

And so, five minutes later found Shego pacing impatiently in front of the sealed door. She'd donned her gloves once more, and she caught herself staring at her totalled TV set a few times where it had landed in the corner. _Aw – screw it._

Glaring back at the sealed door in disgust – piercing the offensive steel barrier with all the fury she could muster –, Shego just breathed a calm, quiet sigh of exhaustion and padded into her bedroom. She switched the radio on – just for something to do – and then carefully laid herself out on her bed, finally acknowledging the sore, tight feeling that came hand in hand with two days on zero sleep, two fights with the great Kim Possible, a museum heist, and a good, short tumble with a Monkey Kung Fu master.

_Hmm,_ Shego stretched slowly, searching cautiously for any serious injuries that would need tending to. _This would be great if it weren't for this whole mind control thing. On the other hand, I'm definitely liking Kimmie's telepathy more than Drakken's damn chip._

As she lay contemplating it, Shego found her thoughts centering on her Princess, and she was astonished to realize that Kim wouldn't need to ask forgiveness from her. She already had it. Kim's last words to her had been an apology – she had known that what she was doing was no small slap to Shego's face, undermining her will like she had. She knew what she'd done was wrong and she had remorse and guilt to prove it, but she'd done it all the same.

And, if truth be told, Shego was actually grateful Kim had done it – forced her to leave the room like she did.

Four years ago when Shego had finally realized that Drakken was playing her, as she'd stood over his broken and unconscious body, she'd been too far gone in her rage and pained betrayal to see any farther than the next handful of seconds. But now, in hindsight, Shego couldn't bring herself to see her last Kim-vision as an intrusion on her moment of triumph so much as a single instant during which Kim had unwittingly managed to save her from herself. Shego saw now that taking Drakken's life, no matter how satisfying or gratifying in the moment, would have destroyed her just as much as him – certainly as thoroughly and completely if not as quickly.

Shego had made a promise to herself over her mother's grave a very long time ago – one that she had kept for over ten years and one that she had made certain no one knew existed. It was a very personal thing to her, and she'd be damned if she allowed anyone to get wind of her sore spot.

Anyone but Kimmie, of course.

Shego's mother had been killed not very long after the comet had hit – caught in the crossfire between a group of Go City's finest – police officers – and a gang of three bank robbers. Shego had never found out whose bullet it was that had shattered her beautiful, innocent mother's skull, nor had she really ever sought that knowledge – neither choice would have made her feel any better. The rumour was that the late Mrs Jenkins had been running from the bank – _away_ from the robbers – and the fatal shot had passed from just above her eyebrow to the base of her skull at high velocity – from front to back –, dropping her to the street. This suggested a sniper, but whether that was a fourth robber or some dumb-ass cop who mistook a bank manager for a bank robber wasn't something that Shego concerned herself with because that knowledge wasn't going to bring her back. Sure, she would have liked to have some form of retribution for this all, but the bottom line was that _her mother was dead._ Besides, how would more bloodshed bring meaning to a meaningless death, a statistic – an "accidental shooting"?

No, for the death of Shego's mom to have some kind of meaning, for it to mean _anything_, it had to produce something that would last for long years afterward. Anything less would be to disrespect her mother's memory – to spit in the face of the most influential person in her life. In any case, Natalie Jenkins had been a loud supporter of Peace, and perpetuating the cycle of violence by capital punishment would be completely against everything Natalie had stood for.

Shego's brothers had taken their own lesson from their mother's death and – led by Henry, also known as Hego –, they had become heroes in order to prevent something like this from happening again to someone else's loved ones. Shego had gone along with them, but mostly to hide the lesson she herself had learned; it was far too out of character for her to feel comfortable sharing.

See, Shego had come to understand one thing her brothers didn't – could never understand, and that was that you couldn't control the world or stop death from happening – the only thing one person could control was their own actions and hope that other people would see and learn as they have learned.

So, late at night on the day of Natalie Jenkins' funeral, Shego had stolen away to the cemetery and sworn an oath to her mother, somewhat aware in the back of her mind that she could have done this in the comfort of her own home and her mother's spirit would have heard. She didn't need to be standing knee-deep in the freezing snow, but there was something symbolic about doing it this way – just like her long black hair had become something of a symbol for her. It was a reminder of that night in the cemetery, a reminder of her mother's own constant, pretty hairstyle as much as of Natalie herself – her views, her ideals, her _beliefs_.

Shego had made no promises of a righteous life – she'd made no vow of peace for her mother. No, what she'd promised had been simple – _she would never kill_. Shego had promised to herself and her mother that she would never take life as long as she drew breath.

Now to be fair, this wasn't to say that Shego and Natalie had been the best of friends, or that Shego had always shared or even understood her mother's stance on war and peace, life and death, but they had certainly _respected_ each other for their unwavering commitment to their convictions. And, now that her mother had been taken from her so suddenly – killed instantly by some asshole with a rifle – Shego found herself grasping for some piece of her mother to hold onto, some legacy to carry on. Pacifism, while odd for her chosen way of life and her comet-given affinity for martial arts and weapons – not to mention her Plasma-curse – seemed the perfect way for Natalie Jenkins to live on through her daughter.

So, that night in the cemetery had become quite a turning point in her life. While Natalie's death had pushed Shego to seriously consider becoming an Atheist – not that she had been particularly religious and faithful _before_ the tragedy –, the promise she'd made to her mother had made her into something a little more than Agnostic. She wasn't completely sure if she believed in God or not, but if He was there, he must not have liked her or her family very much.

That was also the night she'd started taking her life seriously and _living_. She made no apologies for her life – not for anyone she offended, and not for any action she'd done, because she had two lives to live for, a legacy to carry.

So, how to reconcile _this_ with her life of villainy?

Shego never tried. Like she'd told Kaia once, she had to live her life the way _she_ wanted, not to please the world.

A villain she may be, but she would never fall far enough to become a _thug_. Thugs weren't worthy of her respect – people who treated death as a mere means to an end weren't worth her time, and she would sooner throw herself from a high cliff than sink so far that she was counted among their number. People who dealt with death so much that it became a commodity to trade or an occupational hazard – like gangland criminals or cops – were lower than dirt in her eyes. This was one of many reasons she had been so indifferent to the official investigation into her mother's death – the one that was supposed to tell whose side the bullet had come from. Punishment inflicted on the guilty party wouldn't make Shego or her family feel any better – Natalie Jenkins was still dead. Besides, how could you justify trading one life for another like exchanging currencies or goods and services? The truth was, you couldn't – one life isn't equal to another. It never is.

That's what made war such a strange thing to Shego. People argued all the time about who won or lost this war or that campaign, but Shego could never understand it. The way her mother had taught her, everybody lost when it came to war…

* * *

**(((Flashback)))**

"_I mean, think about it, Shego." Natalie set her mug of cocoa down on the old wooden dining room table, rolling her eyes as she used the only name her daughter would answer to. Well, that wasn't completely true – her eldest child would actually answer to any pet name or embarrassing mom-given label, but everything except her birth name. And after all the trouble her parents had gone through to agree on one…_

"_Think about what?" Shego ran a hand through her short black hair, frustration clearly carrying through her voice. "Are you going to try and convert me to Pacifism again? Dad says it's for cowards and people too ignorant to understand how the world works." She twirled a thin lock of hair between her fingers._

_Natalie just smiled gently; it was no secret that she wasn't taken seriously by her own husband; he'd certainly tried hard enough to convince _her_ of the ignorance of Pacifism. "Tell me," her green eyes twinkled with mischief, "do you think I'm ignorant, Speedy?"_

_Speedy was the nickname Shego had earned from Natalie when she'd mastered Kendo in only two weeks. Two _long_ weeks, but two weeks nonetheless. It had been a year since the comet and Shego already knew fourteen styles of fighting – nine unarmed and five weapons._

_Still, for all her fighting prowess, Shego still worded her reply very carefully. "No," she said slowly, "You know a lot of stuff about how the world works and a lot about the world and stuff." She frowned thoughtfully as she realized where this conversation was going._

_Natalie's smile was still so kind, but it was obvious this topic was a sore point for her. Why did she always have to defend her views – why could no one accept her the way she was? "And would you consider me a cowardly person?"_

_Shego was much quicker to respond to this one. "No, you can be pretty scary sometimes."_

"_Oh, so the opposite of coward is scary?"_

"_I meant that you're not afraid to face uncomfortable topics. I mean, I've seen you defend being a Pacifist for years; if you were a coward, you'd have given up to make everyone happy." Shego stared down at the table, still playing with that lock of hair._

_Natalie nodded, still smiling – a little more genuinely. "That's right, now what do you conclude from that?"_

_Shego really thought about that one. "You must have a really good reason to believe in what you believe if you can stand up to us all like that."_

"_That's very true, Pup."_

_There was another funny name, taken from a strange phase Shego had gone through when she was four. She'd apparently wished she was born a dog, a cute little puppy – not to be owned, but to be carefree and innocent. According to Mom, Shego had acted the part quite adorably, but she'd never believed a word of Natalie's stories – not even when shown the pictures of her on all fours in the mud, playing at muddy puppy._

"_So, think about it," Natalie looked at her thirteen year old daughter seriously. "Does anyone really win when the World plays War?"_

"_We won World War Two," eager to show off her newly acquired knowledge of history, Shego was quick to answer._

"_No, we didn't." Natalie glanced into the other room where David and the boys were currently engrossed in a football game. Thank God she'd managed to save her daughter from her husband's favourite sport. Her little Speedy had taken a much keener interest in her mother's sports: Hockey, Soccer, and Lacrosse – field hockey's mutant, violent cousin. "America and the Allies stopped the Nazis from continuing the cycle of violence."_

"_But Mr Turner says we won, and he's the history teacher." Now Shego was confused – why would Mr Turner lie to them all? "We won, didn't we?"_

"_That's the question, isn't it?" Natalie's voice was quiet but firm. This was something she believed in with everything she was and she was quick to defend it. "Think about it, Shego – you can't treat war like a game of chess, where one side wins and the other loses. I mean, what was so different about the two sides – Nazi Germany and the Allies? Did either side lose _all_ the people? Did either side win something that was really worth the cost?" Natalie came around the table to stand beside her daughter's chair, leaning back on the table. "A lot of people died on both sides, Shego – some were good, some were bad, but don't let _anyone_ tell you that everyone of one type was from one side. No country, religion, or race has all the good people or all the bad people._

"_So what do we do?" Shego had never heard Mom deliver her Pacifism speech quite like this before. "What do we do when bad people do bad things?"_

_Natalie sighed sadly and bent down to bring herself level with her daughter's worried face, "Now you see – there's the problem. Good people, by their very nature, can't stand by and let bad people continue the cycle of violence. We have a responsibility to each other and to everyone around us, so sometimes death is the cost of stopping bad people, but I don't want you to ever think that means bad people deserve to die."_

_Shego stared down at her lap. "I don't understand, Mom."_

"_I know," Natalie wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her close, kissing her lightly on the top of her head, her waist-length obsidian hair falling around both of them like a protective, safe curtain, hiding them from a cruel world that didn't make sense. "I know, Speedy. You'll understand one day – I know it."_

_Shego pulled away from the embrace, growing uncomfortable with the emotional turn this discussion was taking. "I can't say I'll ever share your beliefs Mom, but I can respect you for knowing what you believe."_

_Natalie sighed again, straightening slowly. "Sara…"_

_Uh, Oh._

_Shego's Mom usually played along and called her daughter by her chosen name, but if Natalie Jenkins used her name – in that serious, even tone – something bad was about to happen. Or, she wanted to make something _absolutely_ clear._

"_Mom?"_

_Natalie shook her head slowly. "It's never about getting you to believe what I do, or seeing how many people I can convert to Pacifism." She paused, considering her next words very carefully. "Your life is your own, Sara, and I'll be proud of you no matter what you believe or what you become, but there is one thing I want you to learn from me. If there is one thing I want you to take from me and my cowardly, ignorant ways," they shared a smile at that, "Life is a precious thing, no matter whose it is and it should never be treated as anything less. If you have to take life to save others, so be it." Natalie's tone suddenly grew very cold and "scary"._

"_But don't you _ever _forget how precious and beautiful life is."_

"_And don't you dare believe that anyone doesn't deserve to live. Everyone gets a life, and it's not up to you to decide when their time is up."_

**(((End Flashback)))**

* * *

It was kind of ironic that it took Natalie's death for Shego to finally learn what her mother had tried time and again to teach her.

Too bad it was also the kind of irony that wasn't the least bit comforting or amusing.

So, it was a great source of pride to Shego that she'd managed to keep her promise – especially given the nature of her…unique situation. Because, good friends or not, Natalie Jenkins had been someone important to Shego – probably the most important figure in her lifetime.

In fact, that whole first month after her accident had found Shego barricading herself inside Drakken's various lairs and leading his…illegal shopping sprees from a distance – from the sidelines, terrified that she would be unable to keep herself from hurting someone seriously – perhaps even killing them.

Oh, it was so easy to misunderstand. Shego really had no love at all for the everyday average person, but that didn't mean she took pleasure in pointless bloodshed. Honestly, what was the point in killing unthreatening people when she was a _thief_? There were many times – times that Kim and company didn't know about – when Shego had been given the choice: kill or leave without what she came for. And every time, whether it was a lucky security guard or an eccentric genius with a penchant for sawed-off shotguns – someone she could have easily torn apart or not – Shego had chosen the latter without hesitation or regret.

If Drakken wanted some techno-hubcap from some other mad scientist, why was it necessary to kill the original owner of the glorified gadget? The truth was it wasn't necessary. There was no challenge in stealing from a dead man, no _excitement_, no enjoyment, no thrill – and let's face it, why else had Shego joined the villain game? It sure wasn't for the evil because evil people were the kind of people who treated life like it was something to barter.

Besides, it was so much more satisfying to know that she was but one in a very small handful of villains without a single kill to her name. Oh, she probably had plenty of assaults and property damage charges to her name, but nobody had been seriously hurt so far, right?

Oh wait – there _was_ one guy.

_Harold Grimer._

A bank robber. And the idiot who'd decided to pull a gun on his hostages – kids on a school trip – when Team Go had broken down the doors. His first shot had missed completely but Shego hadn't given him a chance to get a second before she was on him with everything she had, which by then had consisted of over thirty forms of unarmed martial arts. Her reaction was understandable, considering Shego's history with bank robberies and her hair-trigger rage. Her promise to Mom had almost been broken that day, but fortunately for Shego, the rest of Team Go was there to pull an out-of-control Shego off a shrieking and helpless bank robber. The end result – Grimer was paralyzed from the waist down and had lost a good deal of coordination in his right arm. Shego had taken a lot of flak for that, but she'd taken it without complaint or objection.

That was what Drakken had been talking about earlier, but Shego hadn't needed to be reminded of that near-catastrophic loss of control. She lived with it everyday, but it was always buried in the back of her mind, contributing to her day-to-day life in only the most subconscious of ways. She hadn't really thought about that incident in a while, but something like that never really goes away, does it?

_But seriously_, Shego stretched her arms above her head lazily, her gloved fingertips lightly brushing the cool, smooth, black marble headboard she'd carved and bolted to the end of her bed. _It's not like I'm completely amoral because I'm a thief; I've got my own values and I'll be damned if I'm gonna just throw them all away for someone as small and pitiful as Drakken._

In fact, the only reason Shego took so much pleasure in the memory of unleashing pure Hell and rage on Drakken was because he had survived and was largely unharmed. Yes, the limp was obvious – and humorous in some small way – and it would stay with him for the rest of his life, but it would serve the man quite nicely as a reminder not to cross someone you wanted as an ally, a memorial of how dangerous it was to play Shego for a fool. Playing with fire was bad, but Shego burned brighter and hotter than any fire.

_And now that he's pissed off Kimmie, he's about to learn just how bad it is to play with her fire._

Relaxing into the soft black-and-green coverings of her bed, Shego closed her eyes and let sleep finally take her to a peaceful, dreamless place.

* * *

The next thing Shego was aware of was a soft, smooth hand resting on her cheek, waking her from her sleep.

She looked around to see Kim laid out on the bed beside her, fully clothed and a haunted sorrowful look on her face as she stared into Shego's now-open eyes.

Kim broke the silence that stretched between them; Shego couldn't do it of course because she wasn't able to speak.

"It's strange," she started quietly, moving her hand away from the older woman's face. "I mean – ever since I broke free from Drakken's chip – and that's something I'm only now beginning to understand – I've been able to feel you, but I still can't feel _you_. It's like…I don't know," Kim looked away for a moment. "I can sense your mind, I know it's there, but I can't sense any deeper than that. I can't talk to you, I can't read anything from your thoughts, your memories…" she gave a choked-off, humourless laugh – something between a mirthless chuckle and a sob, "guess you're relieved to hear that much at least; I'll bet you've probably had enough mind games for today."

_Damn straight_, Shego grumbled. Although…having Kim in her head wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She'd proven herself to be by and large more trustworthy and compassionate than anyone else Shego had ever met – certainly more so than Drakken.

_And I really would appreciate having someone to talk to._

"And I'm sorry," Kim went on even more quietly, meeting Shego's unmoving gaze to make her apology felt. "I'm sorry for not freeing you as soon as I'd broken Drakken's control." She took a moment and looked away as she composed herself. "I know this won't be nearly enough to make you feel any better, but I was just so _drained_. Freeing myself almost burned out my powers, but controlling you was simple – easy." Then, before Shego had a chance to even think to be insulted by that, Kim continued – as if she knew her partner's reaction. "That's not to say that your mind is weak in any way, shape, or form – it's just that Drakken's chip made it easier for me to take control – like stealing an unlocked car as opposed to a locked one. His chip worked as a channelling point for my telepathy."

Kim looked at Shego, her eyes searching her partner's expressionless face. "And then I went and almost burned myself out again on Drakken's mind." She swallowed nervously, her eyes getting a faraway look. It seemed…regretful – and it scared Shego. She _knew_ that look; she herself had worn it after she was told about the final state of Harold Grimer after forty hours in surgery. "I'll tell you this much, though, revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be." Kim continued to avoid Shego's lifeless, unsympathetic gaze.

"I was just so mad at him," Kim rolled over to stare at the ceiling. "I wanted him to hurt just as badly as I did, but everything I did was just making me hurt even worse." Kim swallowed back a sob and Shego found herself unable to help. Not only was she still held captive by Drakken's chip, but even if she was free to move on her own, it was Kim's own actions that had done this; Shego's princess had done this to herself and no amount of comforting words or embraces would fix that. There was nothing Shego could do to lessen the pain of that one simple fact.

"No matter what I did," Kim was still talking in a quiet, broken voice. "No matter what I did to him, I just felt worse and _worse_ – I knew he could _never_ feel as bad as I did, so I finally just gave up and finished it." She breathed a sigh – relief or something darker, Shego couldn't tell –, her shoulders shaking with every intake of breath, trembling with her pent-up sobs of frustration, rage, and pain. "And – God – here's the worst thing; I don't feel bad about what I did to him. I'd do it again if I had the chance. What upsets me so much is that I don't feel bad about it. And there's no way to make this pain go away – not the way I was trying." Kim shuddered again and buried her head in Shego's shoulder, her sour mood erupting from her body as silent, trembling sobs that tore at Shego's heart.

Not that her compliance chip would allow her to do anything about it.

"Oh, God – I'm so sorry, Shego. I should have known he wasn't on the level. I should have seen his real plan, but my powers went crazy and I couldn't see the most obvious thing." She sniffed haltingly, her sobs gradually easing. "I could have stopped you, you know." Shego felt a hand brush down to clasp her own. "I could have dragged you from that room, but I know how much you wanted that cure, and I had to let you for it and hope it could work."

Slowly, Kim raised herself up to stare into Shego's eyes. "Besides, I bet you wouldn't have exactly thanked me for pulling you out if I _had_ done that." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sighing wearily. "I'm sorry, Shego," she whispered, changing the subject. "I'm just so _tired_ right now…" Her bright green eyes closed and Kim rolled over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling again. "I promise, I'll tear this Lair down to its foundations to find some way to remove that chip or I'll fry it off myself, but not tonight…"

Kim's voice trailed off brokenly and Shego felt a pair of arms sliding around her body from Kim's side of the bed, holding her around her abdomen. "For tonight, Shego – just…I know you'll hate me for this, but please – hold me?"

Shego felt herself turning a little to one side and her arms reached out to wrap around Kim's shoulders, keeping a loose but secure hold on her partner. After a few moments, the pale-skinned thief found herself torn between her anger at being forced to do something she hadn't told herself to do and her unfamiliar desire – her _need_ – to provide the exact comfort Kim had her giving. _Kimmie needs me now – I can yell at her later._

Gradually, Shego began to realize that she had at least partial control over her body as she commanded her hands to move a little. Leather-and-alloy enshrouded digits carefully trailed reassuringly, comfortingly – _protectively – _up and down Kim's arms, drawing out quiet sobs from the woman in her arms. _No_, she ordered from her mind. _No more tears, Kim._ Her hands moved more firmly, slower, her arms tightening around partner's shaking body. _Just relax, Kim…it's going to be alright – we'll worry about it all tomorrow._

Shego held Kim close, knowing deep down that it was all she'd be allowed to do with Kim still at the controls of Drakken's compliance chip. Well, there was also the fact that it was all Shego even _wanted_ to do – for tonight.

"Goodnight, Shego." Kim whispered the words into Shego's shoulder, burrowing her head into her partner's warm, solid body. "We'll free you tomorrow – _I promise._"

Shego, on the other hand, was fuming inside. _Kim Possible is in my bed,_ she raved from her far-flung corner of her mind – _in my freaking bed, and I can do nothing. Our first night together – like, _together_, together – and all I can do is hold her? I can't do anything else to reassure her? I'd settle for two words, but it won't happen will it? _Shego continued lightly stroking Kim's arms despite the angry turn of her thoughts – _Kim_ wasn't the target of her anger.

_Goddamn you, Drakken._

_Goddamn you._

* * *

**Author: **Okay, much less of a cliff-hanger this time, and good thing too, cuz I'm gonna need a break for now…a good long break to work out the next few chapters and the beginnings of a sequel. Yes, we are nearing the end of this adventure. I'll gladly accept advice, complaints, comments, criticism, and other synonyms of the like. I could use the ideas, but those that I have could quite possibly make the sequel even longer than "Four Years", so as long as that's what you want, you go ahead and toss me your ideas. We can talk.

**Next Chapter:** What did Kim do? We go back in time to investigate.


	16. Hell Hath No Fury

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Fifteenth – Hell hath no Fury.

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. Okay, seriously, now. If you've made it this far in the story, **YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS! **Stop reading if a same-sex pairing offends you

**Rating:** PG-15. Some language.

**Spoilers:** None…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** Okay, we left Kim and Shego asleep in Shego's bed, but now it's time to go back and see what happened after Shego left Kim alone with Drakken…

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**Chapter XV**

Kim waited until Shego's quiet, steady boot steps had faded into a tense silence before turning back and focusing all of her attention on the pale blue scientist in front of her – the pale blue, trembling, paralyzed-with-terror scientist in front of her.

"Now," her voice was pure sweetness, and her smile hid nothing of her dark, enraged, vengeful desires of the moment. "Where were _we_?"

Drakken gave a pitiful whimper of fright and collapsed to the floor, curling his knees up into a fetal position and jamming his thumb so far down his own throat that Kim thought he was going to choke on it. For a single, wild instant, some deep, dark, hidden, and undeniably hateful part of her sincerely wished he would. "Shego!" He howled plaintively as he climbed carefully – desperately – to his knees, "The deal's off! I-I'll remove the chip. I'll let you beat me to your heart's content – I'll triple your salary – quadruple – no! Please, Shego!" He tried again to make a break for the door, but Kim halted his mad dash once more, only this time, she didn't do anything fancy.

Lunging forward with cold, calculating, and supremely efficient swiftness and a brutal intensity, Kim's left hand lashed out to capture Dr Drakken around the throat. Whirling, she tightened her grip on the fleeing man's neck and threw him into the nearest wall, pinning him in place with one hand even as her right knee rose without warning to drive straight up and into his belly.

The effect might have been hilarious if Kim hadn't been so caught up in her own incendiary rage. Her steel grip around Drakken's larynx brought forth a wet gurgle of protest from his constricted throat, but it died just as suddenly as it was born when Kim's cheerleading-trained and martial arts hardened knee imbedded itself in the spineless scientist's unbelievably soft abdomen – it was as if the man hadn't performed a single sit-up in his entire pitiful life.

The force of the impact completely immobilized Drakken with pain as the strength of Kim's overpowering thrust was transferred into almost every one of his internal organs, causing every nerve in his body to burst into flames of searing agony. A split-second passed and then Dr Drakken's stomach convulsed angrily, spewing a large portion of its contents out from his mouth to fly over Kim's shoulder and land somewhere in the middle of the room.

On the mental side, Kim was highly amused to see that her sudden attack had completely frozen the little man's ability to think. For the moment at least, Drakken's mind was on hold because of the amount of pain he was in and the intensity of his agony. _We're sorry, the lines are currently overloaded. Please, hang up and try your call again._

Satisfied that her captive – the very object of her undying rage – wouldn't be going anywhere for a good long while, Kim abruptly released her hold on the man's throat and let him collapse once more to the cold concrete floor with a sharp _thump_.

"And just where did you think you were going?" Kim knew she wouldn't get an answer – not for a few minutes at the very least. If it had taken Shego a few seconds to regain her breath in their earlier sparring duel, how much longer would it take for a worm like Drakken to recover? If Dr Drakken's entire body wasn't shuddering spasmodically with the effort to regain the power to breathe, then surely he'd be far too petrified with sheer terror to form words. Losing to Kim Possible obviously wasn't anything new for the insane blue man, but he had never seen this side of her before. Hell, even _Shego_ had never been bad enough to have seen Kim like this.

Back during the Li'l Diablo incident, when everything blew up, Kim had only really been pissed off because Drakken and Shego had gotten to her through her personal life. She may have said a lot of things that she now regretted, but the very fact that she _could _regret them must mean that she hadn't really been as deeply affected as it had seemed at the time, right? No one had been hurt – at least, not anybody that Kim had _truly_ cared about as anything closer than a friend. Sure, Erik had been an exciting guy, rubbing Kim in all the right ways and portraying such a perfect boyfriend, and Kim could admit that she'd cared about him while she'd thought he was a real guy – but then again, she cared about everyone, didn't she? Why else would she get into the globe-trotting heroine gig?

Now, four years later, four years wiser, and four years more experienced – with the life of someone she loved hanging in the balance no less – Kim Possible's rage and fury could know no limits. Fighting for her own life, Kim could be ruthless and merciless at worst, but for the life of a loved one…the very hounds of Hell would flee before her as she stormed the gates of Satan himself.

Seeing Drakken curled up on the floor hacking and choking to regain his breath was horrifically satisfying in a way, but by that same token it made Kim feel…

Nothing.

Seeking desperately to find some form of relief from the pain the delusional megalomaniac had put her through, Kim bent down over the prone body and set to work. She started things off with a hammer blow to the blue man's left shoulder, pouring so much power into the attack that she actually came within a few Newtons of dislocating his limb completely. She followed up with a quick, sharp stab of her fingers to the soft, unprotected bundle of nerves just between Drakken's neck and shoulder, robbing the coward of all feeling in his right arm.

"No – Possible!" Drakken wailed in protest, "stop, please – I beg you! I'll give you anything you want -!" He threw his good arm up to protect his face as Kim lunged in again. The movement strained his already half-dislocated shoulder and he gasped in agony, drawing in a ragged, shuddering breath and flopping on the floor wildly, putting even more pressure on his blazing injury. "No, please – mercy!"

Kim's lunge for her prey's face turned out to be a feint when her fist found itself connecting with his middle chest. She was smart enough to know that attacking the face, while incredibly damaging to her target, was also not very unlike punching a brick wall. No matter how soft the man might be, Drakken's bones were just as hard as anyone else's and Kim wasn't overly fond of the idea of banging up her knuckles on Drakken's face. Besides, the spineless little ferret's unprotected torso was a much more appealing target, especially his jelly-soft abdomen.

Did he have _any_ muscles there?

"What's that?" She finally acknowledged her punching bag's cries and backed off for a minute, barely even breathing hard from the effort. "Mercy?" Did you give any to Shego?" She spun in a roundhouse kick that struck Drakken in the elbow, effortlessly tossing him across the room as his arm gave way under the assault, his elbow snapping gruesomely. "You sick, twisted, and delusional excuse for life…" She approached her whimpering prisoner and bent down to latch onto his ankle with one hand. "Did you honestly think you could cut a deal with me after what you've done to me – after what you've done to _Shego_?"

Drakken stared at Kim in disbelief. "Shego? Why on Earth would you defend that treacherous, freakish waste of flesh and money?"

A threatening growl was his only warning as her free hand curled into a fist and her knee found itself lodged deep in the man's crotch with all the merciful pressure of a cruise missile. Then, the incendiary expression upon her face grew a thousand degrees hotter even as her entire body turned to ice. "That's someone I _love_ that you're bad-mouthing, _Drew_, so I'd choose my words _very_ carefully if I were you." She grinned with feral glee and began tightening her grip on Drakken's ankle, realizing somewhat distractedly that she'd managed to entrap him by his yet-uninjured leg – the one that wasn't causing his inconvenient limp. _Funny_, she mused, _he'll be lucky if he can even walk at all after this. _"You know what's great about being an elemental, Drew?" She continued without waiting – blue boy was too preoccupied with groaning in pain and staring at Kim's crystal clear hand with a mixture of wonder and horror. "When I change forms, my body can defy some of the most basic laws that normal humans like you have to live by. Take this one for example:"

It only took a second of concentration, but Kim's left arm started to bulge and swell, her right arm withering in response. Seconds later, Dr Drakken began to feel the effects of Kim's muscular transformation as the pressure of her grip on his leg increased far beyond what her left arm alone would have been capable of. Within a handful of heartbeats, the sheer power being used to crush Drakken's ankle had doubled, and the crushing force continued to climb even higher as Kim began to siphon strength away from her legs little by little.

"See?" Part of Kim's mind was curious – could her captive even hear her through the obscuring haze of agony that had enveloped his mind? "When I change form, I can move my muscles around because – as a water elemental – my body is, well – _fluid_."

As Drakken's panicked groans and incoherent mumblings grew steadily louder, Kim felt her vengeful rage crumbling before a tremendous fist of horror seized hold of her heart. The icy vice tightened with every second that she tightened her own subzero hand's grip on her prey's protesting ankle. This wasn't helping her! Punishing Drakken for what he'd done – past and present – wasn't making it any better; Shego was still cursed with her Plasma and trapped in her own head, and Kim was still dying inside. And because Kim was focused on making Drakken pay, Shego was probably locked in her room…alone.

No, _this_ wasn't helping; this was only serving to fuel her rage, pouring oil on the fires of her pain and furor. And the last time Kim had locked herself into a cycle of rage, she'd ended up throwing the woman she loved into a heavily electrified tower.

Maybe Kim hadn't known anything about her feelings back then, but that accident could have been a whole lot worse. If that shock had been fatal, Kim never would have gotten to this point in her life – so close to achieving fulfillment with the woman who added to her to make her complete at last – and she would have died a shell of herself.

No different than Bonnie Rockwaller.

Just as Kim was coming to a decision about how she could make her pain go away more effectively, she felt more than heard the grinding together of all the bones that comprised Drakken's weak ankle. Before she could even think to let up the pressure and release the straining joint, there was a short series of dull crunching sounds and pops; Drakken's ankle had just done something extremely unnatural – probably shattered under the pressing crush – and Kim was willing to bet that it was also tremendously painful.

She didn't need to be the daughter of two geniuses to know _that_.

Lying prone on the concrete, Dr Drakken's unceasing groans instantly escalated to a shrill howl that would have curdled the blood of a banshee. His shrieking subsided soon after it had started flowing from his surprisingly expansive lungs, but not because the pain had lessened at all – and not through any sudden miraculous tolerance that he might have developed. No, he had simply stripped his vocal chords bare with the force of his single outburst of Hell-born suffering, leaving him with nothing more than a hoarse whisper with which to voice his…_discomfort_.

"Aw," Kim's tone was mockingly sympathetic as she hauled the trembling man up by the front of his jumpsuit, abruptly shifting back to her normal form after rearranging her body to the way it was supposed to be – back to flesh and blood. "At a loss for words, Drew?"

Kim reared back with one hand and finally pulverized Drakken's face with the left cross that he'd been begging for ever since she and Shego stepped into the room together, connecting with the blue boy's nose – the only part of anyone's face that wasn't reinforced with bone, and thus, the only place that Kim would allow herself to hit. _Because there's no way in this life or any other that I'll break my hand on a worm like Drakken_.

There was a wet crunch as the cartilage in the short weasel's nose gave way under Kim's brutal, relentless attack.

"No…" he protested weakly – silently almost – to which Kim only responded with a second clasped-fisted hammer blow to his already throbbing shoulder, completing the job she'd begun earlier and separating the ball joint from it's socket.

As Drakken wheezed in pain, his nose already bleeding profusely and consumed in the pain of half-a-dozen severe injuries, Kim stood up and stretched, making her decision. "Okay, Drew – we're finished here."

Her mutilated punching dummy gave an incoherent whimper of gratitude and began crawling away, dragging one leg sluggishly and one arm hanging uselessly at his side as his agonized, wheezing mewls persisted. Just as he was passing Kim, however, she brought the heel of her boot down on his knee, snapping the joint in a very unnatural direction. "Oh, did you think we were actually _finished_? I'm sorry, Drew," she clearly wasn't as she bent down over him and grabbed onto his chin, violently forcing his beady black eyes to meet her penetrating emerald gaze. "No – we're _far_ from finished; I'm just going to take our discussion to some place more…_private_."

Kim narrowed her eyes and grabbed hold of Drakken's mind with iron talons that she conjured from deep within her own, keeping the once arrogant, confident mad scientist in place as she extended tendrils of thought into his head, penetrating deeper and deeper into the blue man's consciousness.

Drakken froze mid-scream as Kim smashed her way into his head. There was probably a gentler way to do it, but she'd never done anything like this before and subtlety came with experience. Besides, who gave a damn about Drakken's _comfort_?

_Alright Drakken, _Kim closed her eyes and concentrated, throwing wide the gates to her prey's mind with an ease that could only be born of pure, focused, and intense rage. _Let's take a look at that simple, twisted little mind of yours._

* * *

**_--VISION--_**

_Kim opened her eyes and discovered herself standing in a dimply lit laboratory with no windows in sight and only a single door. Lying face up on a medical bed in the middle of the large, cluttered room was a girl with long, flowing ebony hair and a fair, lightly tanned complexion. She was unconscious, her eyes closed as though in sleep, but Kim knew a drugged victim when she saw one._

"_Shego!" Kim called out the name, but there came no response from the prone form._

_And before Kim could rush forward to embrace the villainess – now mysteriously transformed back to her pre-Plasma self – there was a sudden burst of muffled footsteps and the door behind her flew open, admitting the blue-clad, broad form of Dr Drakken. The scientist swept into the room and approached the motionless heroine with purpose. He strode straight through Kim's body as if she wasn't even there; in fact, the uncharacteristically serious scientist didn't even acknowledge her presence in his lab. That in itself was weird because there had never been a time when Kim and Drakken weren't pitted against each other over some lame, imaginative take-over-the-world scheme. It took a moment for the answer to come to Kim, and when it did, she suddenly felt the reality of how little she really did know about her powers._

_He couldn't see her._

"_Ah – there you are, my dear Shego." He stopped by her bedside and reached out to grasp her hand in an almost fatherly manner, as if he was making a valiant effort to provide some form of comfort in the worst display of acting Kim had ever seen. "So, you've finally met Kim Possible, have you? And what do you think about her? I'm afraid you're about to learn more than you'd like to, and for that, I am truly sorry," he clearly wasn't, "But you must know the truth."_

_Kim realized somewhat belatedly that she was standing in the heart of a memory in Drakken's mind. _Oops, guess I don't know quite as much as I thought about my telepathy._ Kim glanced back at the scene playing out before her bright, inquisitive eyes. _Still, this might be a nice place to start looking for that cure…

"_Oh, you don't have to say a word, Shego," Drakken released the still girl's hand and reached over to a nearby table for a gleaming metal injector. "I know exactly how you feel about Ms Possible." With one hand still carefully cradling the injector, the smirking scientist reached into his jumpsuit to withdraw a small glass vial filled with an ugly, ominous, acid-green liquid. "You're frustrated by her," he mused quietly, snapping the vial into place on the butt end of the device in his hand. "You are _infuriated _by her," he gazed at the loaded implement for a long moment. _

"_But most of all," he brought the injector gun to Shego's wrist and just held it there to savour the moment – the last moments of Shego's Plasma-free days – the last seconds of Freedom for the fiery-spirited woman. "Most of all," he jabbed the needle of the injector gun into Shego's wrist and pulled the trigger. After I've explained what I've – what _she's_ done to you," He gazed down upon the tool still pressed into his henchwoman's skin as the vial swiftly emptied its entire contents into Shego's body. "You will hate her with all your blackened soul."_

"_Not really," Kim mused, watching calmly as Dr Drakken withdrew a second vial from within the confines of his jumpsuit. He snapped the dark jade fluid into the injector after ejecting the spent first vial. "Her soul never hated me, thankfully – only the part that everyone saw ever hated me, and even then, it had only lasted for so long." Kim walked up to the younger, happier Dr Drakken. "Looks like your plan failed, Drew."_

"_I was shocked, to say the least," Drakken continued casually, moving around the table and moving the injector into position beside his henchwoman's other wrist. "I was astonished to see that she actually held her own quite well against you." He pulled the trigger with the gleaming injector firmly pressed into his sidekick's right wrist, sending a second dose of his mutagenic cocktail flooding into Shego's circulatory system. "I mean, from all indications, she should be about as athletically adept as a pocket protector. Daughter of a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist? A Cheerleader – please!" Drakken tossed the empty vial into a nearby trash bin. "According to my sources in WEE, she knows seventeen forms of martial arts, but your resume said that you know over thirty, not to mention two dozen styles of armed fighting. Logically, she shouldn't have stood a chance against you."_

_Drakken grumbled a little more as he pulled a third vial from his pocket, this one filled with a horrid, mustard yellow fluid. "Ah, final step." He snapped the vial into the injector and brought his device up to Shego's neck. "When this protein hits your bloodstream, my mutagenic formula will activate and begin rewriting your DNA. I'm certain you'll thank me for this someday, Shego – but for now…"_

"_This _might_ hurt."_

_Drakken jabbed his injector into the soft tissue at the base of Shego's neck, administering the third and final dose into his sidekick's body with a sharp hiss of compressed gases. Then, with a satisfied smile, the blue-skinned man sat back to watch as his supposed Anti-Kim Possible weapon was born, tossing the entire injector into the trash bin as he looked upon the unmoving form of his right-hand woman._

_It only took a moment for Shego's third injection to take hold, creating a chain reaction across her entire body like a star going nova. One moment, Shego was lying peacefully on the poorly-cushioned bed with a clear and normal complexion – which actually looked really strange to Kim because she'd gotten so used to the Shego she knew – and then an ugly pastel green splotch of discoloration appeared around the puncture mark on the ebony-haired girl's neck. From there, the spot of colour spread out as the young woman transformed before Kim's eyes._

_As the metamorphosis spread down Shego's arms like a spreading stain on her skin, red and bloody lesions suddenly opened all across her palms, fingers, and every other surface below her wrists. The fresh wounds released an intense green glow from deep within the woman's flesh that was all-too-familiar to Kim, and she felt her heart breaking at the thought of the difficulties and hardships that lay ahead for this younger Shego. The angry scarlet lacerations in Shego's hands grew both in size and number, the glow becoming ever more intense with every second that her metamorphosis continued._

_And then came the seizure._

_Shego shuddered sharply once, still unconscious, and then she began to shake and tremble uncontrollably, jerking and rattling the rails of the gurney. A quiet groan escaped from between Shego's lips and her thrashing worsened all the more. Every time her hands came too close to the bed rails, there was a sharp, drawn out hiss like oil on a hot pan, and the metal bars began to give way, melting under the growing heat of Shego's constantly mutating hands._

_Finally, a minute or two after it had begun, Shego's violent reaction eased and her conversion was complete. But before Kim could even think about what she'd just seen, the memory ground to a halt and the world froze completely around her. _

"_It was so perfect…"_

_She turned away from the frozen memory to find Dr Drakken standing behind her. He was staring at the scene that lay before him with a tiny, nostalgic smile plastered across his face and didn't seem to have noticed Kim's presence in his mind. "To think I'd planned it all so carefully, so perfectly."_

_Kim stepped in Drakken's direction calmly, not really surprised that the injuries she'd inflicted only minutes ago were no longer present – that had all been the scientist's physical body. This, however, was not, "Haven't you learned by now? None of your plans have ever worked out in the end, so what makes you think this one would have been any different? Even your Bueno Nacho scheme got foiled."_

_Drakken barely acknowledged her. "No…this was different…" He trailed off as he turned to meet Kim's gaze at last, clearly only living halfway in the present. "It took me years to develop that mutagenic toxin and months more to find a candidate to use it on, but my scheme was perfect in its simplicity – so elegant…and it worked. For three years, I had the greatest thief in the world at my disposal and she despised your very existence. So much time and work spent on maintaining an illusion so flawless, so perfect…only for it all to be undone in a matter of days."_

_Kim crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Like I said…"_

"_How did you do it?" Drakken interrupted; he was suddenly desperate. "How did you undo years of planning and careful manipulation when my Shego so clearly hated you – when I was the only one she would trust?"_

_Kim rolled her eyes once more, "Here's an idea, Drew: did you ever think for an instant that maybe she was never your Shego to begin with – that maybe she'd never actually trusted you? That maybe she had simply been using you as a means to an end, namely her revenge on me? Did it ever occur to your little mind for even a second that she would rely more on her own eyes and brain than your insanity and wild stories? I mean come on, you may have painted me as the most diabolical creature on the planet, but even you had to realize that Shego would never have seen any of the tell-tale manic behaviour because we both know it would never have been there since it was all a lie."_

_Drakken just sighed frustratedly. "Oh, it doesn't matter now." He straightened and cast a withering glare at Kim. If it was meant to intimidate her, it was currently failing miserably; maybe because the glare was coming from a man with blue skin. "Now, if you would kindly remove your presence from my mind? I have some revenge schemes to plot."_

Excuse me?

_Kim stared at him in disbelief. "You're not going anywhere, Drew – weren't you listening earlier? You've failed your last scheme."_

"_Oh, I beg to differ; it would seem that our situation has changed, thanks largely to your own blundering." Dr Drakken snapped his fingers and the frozen memory around them was swept away in a swirl of dust to be replaced and transformed into a high cliff overlooking a heart-stopping drop straight down into a frothing, turbulent lake of molten rock, casting a faint red-orange glow all the way back up to Kim and Drakken. Kim felt her footing slip ever-so-slightly, causing her to stumble as the concrete under her boots abruptly transformed into the very edge of the precipice, leaving her heels hanging over the dangerously hot space._

"_Whoa!" Kim stumbled forward to avoid tumbling into the abyss and inferno. She managed to regain some kind of footing and took a moment to regain her senses before rounding on Drakken, sending him a glare more heated and intense than the entirety of the lava flow below them and gathering herself for the coming fight. "Okay," she blew an errant lock of hair out her eyes, "This just got a little more frustrating."_

"_Oh, bring it!" Drakken cackled madly, taking a step back from Kim as the scrap of rock she was standing on separated itself of its own accord from the rest of the cliff face to move away and hang suspended over the burning fields of liquid rock. "This is _my_ mind, Kim Possible – I have the home field advantage here. Now, be a good little cheerleader and return my Shego to me." He narrowed his eyes warningly, not bothering to voice a threat that he used to take so much childish pleasure in uttering back in the day._

_Kim crossed her arms and stared the little man down from her tiny square of stone. "And if I say no?" _Oh, I've just got to hear this one…

_Drakken waved a hand and a whirlwind of stones and dust rose up from his feet, forming a large, ominous, two-metre tall laser cannon that was pointed straight at Kim's chest across the distance between them._

"_Well now," Drakken reached up to pat the smooth metal of the death ray's long, tapered barrel gently, almost lovingly. "Let's not do anything hasty; we might regret it later." Drakken snapped his fingers and lights began to flare into existence all along the length of the tall weapon's housing, accompanied by a foreboding, rising whine of energy. "So, Possible," Drakken grinned victoriously, "will you surrender to me?"_

_Kim sighed and rolled her eyes. _Again_. "You just never learn, do you?"_

"_I do too," he retorted childishly, reinforcing Kim's complete and utter disgust for the little blue man. "I've learned enough to know that within the confines of my own mind," he snapped his fingers and a massive pillar of fire rose up behind Kim from the fiery lake beneath her, "I am _God_." He gestured and another column ascended from the depths on Kim's left side, "Here – in this place, _I_ make the rules." Closing his gloved hand into a fist, Drakken tightened the noose even further, summoning a third pillar of spinning, searing flames on Kim's right side and leaving her stranded on a tiny scrap of a boulder with nowhere left to run. "Goodbye, Kim Possible!"_

Okay, I've so had enough of this…

_Kim waved one hand just as the death ray fired with a roar like an artillery cannon and Drakken watched with rapidly deflating excitement as the red ball of destructive energy just…vanished before it could hit its target. "What?" He spluttered, as was the norm when Kim or Ron managed to foil his plans. "How? But – the death ray – and the – what – but – now – aw…snap…"_

_Kim made no reply as the three pillars of fire around her spontaneously burned themselves out, the flames thinning down to nothing and extinguishing themselves without the slightest resistance from Drakken's mind. The redhead chose instead to simply take one step forward and into the open space over the churning lake of molten rock, her feet landing securely on a surface that only existed because she had willed it to be so. To Drakken, she might as well have been walking in mid-air. "Here's a newsflash, Drew; telepath trumps home team. You're always so late to catch on, aren't you?" Kim mimicked Drakken's fist-closing gesture and the blue man was suddenly being drawn towards the edge of the cliff – helpless to stop the invisible force that was dragging at him._

"_You crossed the line this time, Drakken." She smiled darkly, "And I'm afraid this one's going to cost you a whole lot more than a little time in a prison cell." She pulled suddenly on the air in her fist and Dr Drakken was sent catapulting into the air over Kim's head to land in a heap on the lonely, pitiful little stepping stone behind her. Then, without waiting for him to recover, she raised her other hand to point at him, clenching it into a fist so tight she felt her fingernails biting into her palms._

_Just as Drakken launched himself away from Kim, taking off from the stone platform in a desperate, definite flight response, a thick, cold iron collar appeared around blue boy's neck, attached by a short chain to a stake in the tiny stone behind him. Drakken's flight was brought to an abrupt halt and he was dragged choking and gagging to the ground. As he slowly climbed back up to his feet, Kim's hold over his mind deepened even further and more chains appeared from the farthest reaches of this mind, attached to shackles around Drakken's ankles and wrists. The restraints pulled at their captive until he hung spread eagled over open space. Then, just like that, with Drakken watching every move she made and the landscape all around him, Kim banished the fiery pit around them to oblivion, blowing the cliff, the suspended stepping-stone, and the volcano into nothingness as swiftly and effortlessly as dust in the wind._

_Drakken let out a strangled yelp as his mind's appearance was so quickly transformed into a borderless, featureless expanse of open black space. His primal terror permeated the area like a nauseating nails-on-chalkboard kind of sensation, its emotional vibrations making Kim shudder with absolute revulsion. _I can't imagine what it must smell like to Shego – but it can't possibly be good; never in a thousand years.

_Kim glanced around at the utterly blank landscape she'd created in Drakken's mind._ "Not much to look at – is it, Dr Dee?" She was surprised to find how easily Shego's nickname rolled off her tongue, but she promptly shoved that realization aside for later. It wasn't important right now.

Driving this lesson home on the other hand? Top Priority.

"_What do you want?" Drakken managed to squeeze the words out through the pressure of the choking ring around his neck. "What are you going to do to me?"_

_Kim didn't even skip a beat before replying, "Nothing you wouldn't have done to Shego." At Drakken's horrified expression, like Kim had just decapitated his dog, Kim's satisfied smile only grew. "It's killing you, isn't it?" Yes, psychological torture was so much better than beating him bloody. She felt no small satisfaction in wrenching Drakken's mind around in painful agony – much more than when she'd been pulverizing his body. "The knowledge that you had so many plans for her, and now they can all be turned back on you – it's not a nice feeling, is it, Drew – knowing that you had so many ideas, and now they're all clear as crystal to me?" Kim paused for a second, closing her eyes as some of Drakken's thoughts filtered through her block. "I can see them all, you know – all your precious torture schemes; I can see all the ways you planned to humiliate her while she was trapped in her own body. They're all up here," she tapped her forehead lightly to emphasize her point._

_Drakken shrank away from Kim as much as his restraints would allow, which wasn't very much at all. "No – you can't! You're the hero – you can't do this!"_

_At his terrified but nonetheless arrogant outburst, Kim surged forward like a wave breaking on shore and delivered a left cross that would have destroyed the sad, sad little man's jaw if they'd been fighting in the physical world. Instead, here inside Drakken's mind, the blow simply threw his body around and left him with a sensation like blood rushing from his body. This in turn left him drained and weak – too far gone to really see or understand much of anything that was going on around him._

"_Who the Hell asked you?" Kim spat the words like they disgusted her with their very existence – like their taste in her mouth as she enunciated them was utterly offensive and repulsive to her. "Since when did you and your _friends_ have a monopoly on violence?" She buried her fist into Drakken's ribs, driving the blow straight up through his soft, unprotected abdomen. "On anger?" She grabbed onto Drakken's wrist and pulled, allowing her chains to loosen briefly as she threw him straight into a solid cinderblock wall that hadn't been there a second earlier and which disappeared promptly after Drakken's back and head crashed into it. "Who ever said that this was only for insane little maniacs like you?" _

_Kim lodged her right fist into her prisoner's gut again, drawing out a shrill howl of torturous agony as her attack dealt more damage and penetrated deeper than it ever could have in the outer world. She could sense how much devastatingly painful her strikes had become here in Drakken's mind. She could feel that her relentless assault was making Drakken feel as though Kim was coming at him with fishhooks and then tearing them right back out again._

"_No," he gasped weakly. Unable to ward off Kim's vengeful claws with any part of his body, he settled on a quick, desperate shaking of his head to go along with his wheezed protest._

_She spun and caught him across the face with the back of her hand, snapping his head around on his shoulders like a top. "Who said that assholes like you," she punched him again, "and MonkeyFist," and again, "and Killigan," and _again_, "and Gemini…" She grabbed him by his shoulders and brought her knee up into his crotch. "Who said you idiots were the only ones who are allowed to fight for what you want – for what you _love

_Kim stepped back and took a deep breath, trying to regain control of herself. "Who the _fuck_ are you to tell me what I can't do?" She turned away from the dazed and gasping scientist that she'd now imprisoned within his own mind. "I'll tell you what, though." She turned back to face him, much more calm now that she'd taken a few seconds to pause in her thoroughly enjoyable but ultimately self-destructive thrashing of the pitiful excuse of a man. "I'm not like you – and your plans for Shego weren't anything I'd wish on my worst enemy. Besides," Kim crouched down to put herself level with Drakken since her shackles had dragged him down to a sort of half-kneeling position. "I really do have other things I'd rather be doing right now, and I can be very reasonable."_

_Dr Drakken whimpered with relief but stared at his captor with wary eyes for a moment before closing his eyes and bowing his head in submission._

_Kim leaned in close and grinned maliciously in anticipation of what she was about to say as she held five long, slender fingers before the man's face. "Five years, Drakken." She lowered her hand back to her lap as she crouched in her prisoner's personal space. "I want the five years you would have stolen from Shego."_

_A look of absolute horror filled Drakken's features and he shook his head frantically, gasping protests that went completely ignored by his tormentor. Listening to his pitiful wailing and begging wasn't making Kim feel any better, so why bother?_

_Kim stood back up and stared down at Drakken coolly. "Here's the plan, Drew – I'm going to let you sit in this little, powerless corner of your head, I'm going to get your body to a nice hospital with a couple of guards who can keep you out of trouble, and then I'm going to go and live out my life with the woman I love. And, you know what, who knows?" She stepped back and straightened to her full height, drawing away from the chained scientist. She reached out for her own mind and prepared herself to return to it; she had nothing left to do here, "Maybe I'll even remember to come by and let you out. How does that sound to you?"_

_Drakken's head shook even more as his begging ascended, rising and swelling into an anguished, wordless howl of pained defeat, ending with one last word that would forever reside in Kim's memory, complete in every minute fluctuation of tone and pitch._

"_No!"_

"_Goodbye, Drew." Kim turned and walked away, her body – or at least the psychic manifestation of her consciousness in Drakken's mind – fading away to nothing before the chained man's eyes as she released her grip on the little weasel's mind._

**_--END VISION--_**

* * *

Shortly, Kim found herself standing once more in Drakken's Lair.

She opened her eyes and breathed out the slightest sigh, looking down at the crumpled body on the floor with something approaching curiosity. Reaching out with the toe of one black boot, she nudged the mad scientist on the shoulder, nodding silently when she received no response at all. _He's gone._

"Well, Drew," Kim straightened up and stretched out her arms, trying to relax her uncharacteristically tense muscles and feeling suddenly tired, a small but intensely painful headache pounding into existence in her head. _Whoa,_ she almost felt herself swaying on her feet for a second before the world righted itself. _Feel so drained. Maybe I should take a moment to…_

Without finishing her thought, Kim found herself staggering into the bathroom that was attached to Drakken's room, spinning the tap over the sink as far as it would go. She then proceeded to splash the chilling water into her face, not even minding the temperature. If anything, the cold seemed to help, numbing the headache a little as the water itself was absorbed in through her skin to refresh her, recharging her batteries as it were.

Then, coming back into the room in which she had just wrought a huge load of vengeance, Kim looked at Drakken's crumpled body. "I guess I've finally managed to give you a prison Shego can't break you out of, as if she was going to this time." She grabbed him under the arms and pulled him up to his feet, moving easily, if unbalanced, under the weight and half-carrying him from the room.

"How about we get you to that hospital now?" Kim lugged her silent burden down the hall and continued her conversation with the decidedly catatonic man in her arms – as if he could actually hear her from the darkest, farthest flung corner of his mind. _Hey,_ she corrected herself,_ who knows? Maybe he _can_ hear me._ She shifted just a little under the weight of the completely unresponsive blue man. _Well_, she slowly started up the stairs to the street that stood just outside the Lair's more…surreptitious entrance and looked at Shego's bike for a moment. It really was a beautiful machine, despite the odd, _normal-_ness of its appearance. _At least he can't talk back like this,_ she finished, glancing over her shoulder.

Kim pulled the keys her partner had given her out of her pocket and tossed them up in the air, catching them absently as she let Drakken's broken and bleeding body crumple to the sidewalk – considering her next move. Then, coming to a decision, she glanced down at the body lying prone at her feet, smiling her satisfaction.

"This is a definite improvement for you, Drew."

* * *

"So, Lara – where you headed?"

"Forget it, Kin," the brunette tossed her reply behind her as she strode out the emergency room of the Lakeshore General Hospital and into the early morning darkness of the parking lot. "We're off-duty now, but I'm going home to curl up with a tall glass of orange juice and a trashy romance novel, and then I'm going to turn in for the night. You can go to Clyde's with the others, but I'm just too exhausted." She started scanning the parked cars around them, searching for a familiar landmark with which to find her own.

"No way, Lara." Kin Wing double-timed to catch up to his fleeing partner. "We're paramedics, not corpses, so come on." He reached for her shoulders to halt her swift retreat to her car. "Okay, I get that you don't want to risk making a fool of yourself in front of everyone, but that doesn't mean you can't come out with us and stick around for one drink, does it?"

Lara froze in her retreat and cast her gaze down to the pavement nervously. "I guess not," she moved her eyes up to look at her older partner shyly, a tiny smile ghosting its way across her lips. "Well…" she drew the one word out, fidgeting under her partner's encouraging brown-eyed expression. "I guess I _could_ come out for one drink."

"That's the spirit!" Kin clapped his hand once on Lara's shoulder and carefully resumed walking, turning them both around to make their way over to Kin's car. "We'll make it an ice-cold Guinness for me, an orange juice for you, and then-."

"What's that?" the shorter woman interrupted suddenly.

"Eh?" Kin wasn't entirely sure if this was a joke or not, but he decided to go with it. "Well, orange juice is what you get when you take-."

"Not that, you fool – _that_!" A small hand grabbed Kin's face and turned his head to face the way Lara was looking, away from them. "_What is that_?"

Kin looked for a second and found himself equally mystified and unable to answer the question.

There was a long, snow-white streak of light running quickly along the road that surrounded the hospital and it took Kin a long few moments to realize that it was in fact a tightly-controlled mass of fog with a bright light shining from within. "I don't know, but it sounds an awful lot like a motorcycle." He ventured a guess as the dense cloud moved up to the parking lot entrance and paused, waiting dutifully for the gate to rise before taking off once more into the half-filled lot. Kin tilted his head as he listened to the clean, shifting whine-roar of the…thing. It was a clear, crisp sound – a well-kept and maintained machine certainly, but what was with the cloud? "Oh, yeah – that's definitely a motorcycle. And a good one too."

"You know motorcycles?" Lara looked up at him with wide eyes, bright with some kind of emotion, but not one that Kin could identify, not that he had ever considered himself an experienced people watcher.

"Mine's parked at home," Kin stated proudly. "I've had it for a while, but it works as well as the day I drove it off the lot."

"But what's with the fog?" Lara quickly – obviously – changed the subject, unwittingly voicing Kin's very thoughts on the vehicle and stepping a little closer to her partner as the glowing fog swiftly navigated its way through the rows of cars, clearly aiming to collide with the pair of off-duty paramedics. "And why is it coming for us?"

"I don't know." Kin felt a strange impulse come over him, a feeling that made him want to grab Lara and make a run for it, but something was holding him back and he remained firmly rooted to the spot. It was almost like his brain was working too slowly for his body to respond or to even allow much of anything but the most basic thoughts. Looking at Lara from the corner of his eye, he could see that she had stopped moving just like him.

_Why can't we move?_

The streak of mist reached their row and turned, running straight at Kin and Lara without hesitating. Kin felt his heart beating in his throat as the cloud seemed to reach out to him, enveloping both of them in a thick, disorienting mass of blinding white that just glowed from deeper within its murky bowels.

Before Kin could even think about trying to scream, a jet black helmet came flying out of the featureless white void, attached presumably to a body and some form of mechanized transportation device. Kin couldn't for the life of him figure out if that was the truth because the pair of blazing white eyes behind the helmet's night-black faceplate already had complete hold of his awestruck attention. He didn't really have the awareness to spare.

So it was that Kin Wing Tsui was completely unprepared for what happened next.

For a single heart-freezing instant, it felt like time itself had slowed to a complete stand-still and all Kin could do was stare in terrified wonderment at the star-eyed figure on the sleek bright-painted motorcycle. Whether the mysterious machine's pilot was male or female – alive or dead, demon or angel – he couldn't say for certain, but he knew one thing for sure.

Kin was scared to death.

And then the moment was past; the bike and its rider were behind him and he found his feet being swept out from under him, sending him tumbling over face-first into the pavement.

"Kin!"

Before Lara's cry had really registered in his mind, Kin felt a long-forgotten memory rise up from the chaos of his childhood. He was in a room filled with people – a dining hall at a Christian youth camp. Every single mouth open wide to release a chorus shout:

"_Kin!"_

"_Wing!"_

"_Tsui…!"_

Lara's panic and worry were plain to hear in her voice, but all Kin could do was groan something completely unintelligible as the white cloud lifted from his vision, retreating with the departing thunder of a very powerful machine.

_What just happened?_

With a dazed moan, Kin pushed himself up to an almost-upright position, feeling the whole world spinning around him as though rebelling against his quest for order and a more vertical position. He accepted the hand that his worried friend had offered, thanking her with a dazed nod as he regained his feet at last. "W-what was that?" He asked the question while looking around for the bike that had simply vanished.

"Damned if I know," Lara replied as she stared down at the pavement, one hand still wrapped around Kin's, her expression one of disbelief and no small taint of fright. "But I know what _this_ is."

Kin followed the young woman's gaze downward to the object that had bowled him over, revealed now as a little red wagon with an unconscious man lashed to it quite securely.

A very infamous man.

"I know this guy," Lara declared, pale blue eyes wide with excitement. "This is Doctor Drakken, Kin! Remember – he was behind that huge Great Lakes water theft a couple years back, wasn't he – started a Hell of a storm over some random countryside, didn't he?" She snapped her eyes back to the dark-haired Chinese immigrant. "Do you know what this means?"

"It means we're going to be pulling another double-shift." Feeling the sting in his shins fading, Kin had bent down to examine the world-famous evil madman once he realized that there was fresh blood running freely from the sky blue-skinned face. "He's hurt pretty bad." Kin moved his hands down the bruised and purpled torso, palpating with practiced ease and experienced hands as he probed for the extent of the injuries. "Damn – it looks like he picked a fight with a wrecking ball – and lost. Lara?" He looked up to find his partner staring down at him intently with wide eyes – not at the severely beaten celebrity criminal. "What?"

Whatever the weird expression was Lara had been wearing a second ago was gone – swept away so swiftly Kin couldn't be sure it had ever actually been there at all. "Are you all right?"

"Huh?" Kin glanced down at his shins to see no visible traces of blood seeping through his uniform pants. "Yeah, I'm fine." _What was that look?_ He shook those thoughts away; he had a job to do. "Lara, look. We'll worry about me later but first we've got to take care of the doctor here. I'll make sure he's stable – while you get a gurney for him, okay?"

For an instant, Lara just stared at him like he'd grown a third eyeball. Then, like a light switching on, she was back in paramedic mode. "Right." She turned away.

"That's my girl. Hurry." Kin looked back down to his charge too fast to see his partner whirl around mid-retreat to fix him with a dazzling, tooth-filled smile. All he heard were her rapidly receding footsteps.

After ensuring that Doctor Drakken was in no immediate need of CPR or anything – and it didn't seem as though his current injuries were life-threatening in any way, Kin took a moment's pause and looked the way Lara had fled and he found himself thinking carefully. _Something's seemed a little bit…off about her tonight. I wonder what it could be._

'She's in love with you, you idiot.' A tiny, unfamiliar voice spoke the words somewhere inside his head. 'Now why don't you _do _something about it?'

_What?_

Kin looked around himself at the deserted, car-filled parking lot, not quite certain what he was looking for. He'd just had the strangest feeling that those thoughts hadn't been his. But if not his – then _who's_? Kin shook that suspicion off as he thought about what the voice had said to him.

No, that couldn't be right, could it? Lara wasn't in love with him. No way – Hell, she avoided him like the plague unless they were working. In fact, getting the closed-off brunette to agree to come out for a drink with them was no small achievement; that was the result of five months of constant, patient, repeated requests from Kin. But even when they were working, his friend's behaviour was a far cry from love struck. On the contrary, Lara's dealings with him while they were on the clock could easily be described as rather short and brusque – or somewhat shy and awkward, depending on the day.

She couldn't really be hiding a secret affection for Kin, could she? He was a nobody. There was no way someone like Lara would stoop down to his level, not for any reason that he could think of.

_Then again…_

* * *

Not too far away, Kim Possible rolled her eyes.

Whoever that paramedic was, he was by far the biggest idiot in the world when it came to knowing the people around him.

Kim had only spotted them a few seconds before they noticed her, but she'd seen enough to know that the woman was completely smitten. If that was an adequate sample of their normal, day-to-day interaction, then Kim could see that the brunette had totally fallen for the darker-haired man. It was obvious in the way her eyes glowed almost as brightly and fiercely as Kim's when she was tapping into her weather-control abilities. Of course, clueless man likely never saw the affectionate fire smouldering in his friend's eyes because she kept her eyes averted or narrowed and turned down whenever he was looking – just enough that she could keep her secret hidden behind a passive and aloof mask or a shy curtain, so the blame wasn't all his. Her narrowed eyes hid her true emotions for the man, but it was her lips that gave her away. There was always the slightest, imperceptible upturn at the corners of her mouth, turning her passive expression into the shy, nervous smile that told Kim exactly how she felt about her friend: that she wouldn't trade anything in the Universe to leave her partner's side, regardless of the possibility that he may never even clue into her feelings for him.

_But enough of that,_ Kim smiled – _I've got other things to worry about._

So, with a last hope-encouraging thought for the potential couple, Kim returned her attention to the road ahead of her, her brightly glowing eyes reverting to their natural bright emerald colour as she released her control over the dense fog in which she'd been riding.

Her white mist had been a necessary deception – not only because it was a cool effect that she'd been toying with for a while – in order to draw attention away from the bike Kim had been driving. She'd known that her glowing white eyes against the sharp black space of her helmet's faceplate would pull her witnesses' focus up and away from Shego's motorcycle – so much so that they wouldn't be able to name even the shape of her ride, much less the colour or model. And even if they were able to describe the bike, its rider's glowing eyes and the cloud of fog would make any sane person sound the opposite – like the whole thing was probably a drunken hallucination.

And of course, the witnesses were needed because _somebody_ had to be there to catch Dr Drakken when she slashed the line to the wagon she'd been towing since she left Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Kim had actually almost loaded her burden onto Shego's _Ghost_ for the ride to the hospital, but then she'd remembered her partner's words. _Over my dead body…_ So, Kim had gone looking for a solution to her problem of getting a severely injured body to the hospital without letting it touch her partner's bike.

The sturdy little red wagon had been sitting on a driveway only a few dozen metres away, and another stroke of luck had found a tough length of rope lying coiled right beside it. Kim had easily liberated the two items from their previous owner, but not before leaving a nice twenty dollar bill under a rock for them to find the next day.

Of course, dragging the unresponsive scientist behind her like a fifth wheel had severely limited Kim's choice of routes to the backstreets as opposed to the highway through town, but then – the hospital hadn't been too far away. Sure, she could have taken the highway regardless, but the risks of injuring the man further – perhaps even killing him – were pretty high, and Kim wasn't out for blood. Not anymore.

Now that she didn't have Drakken to worry about, Kim could take her borrowed ride out and really push the beautiful machine's engine. That is, right after she'd taken a minute at a pay phone to place an anonymous call to the police concerning the whereabouts of a certain Drew Lipsky, mad scientist and villain. The authorities could take care of getting in touch with the right people.

Hanging up the phone, Kim slid her helmet back over her vivid red-crowned head and slipped free of the public pay phone's tight confines, climbing once more onto the sleek green sport bike that Shego had so easily lent her – had even half-declared it partly hers by giving her a set of keys . As she roard out of the parking lot she'd chosen arbitrarily for her anonymous call and aimed for the nearest highway access ramp, Kim knew only one thought.

_I'm coming for you, Shego._

* * *

_Oh, God – what am I going to say to her?_

Kim swallowed around the lump in her throat, coughing uncomfortably at the unfamiliar tightness in her chest – like a ball of ice in her lungs. It wasn't too hard to breathe around this feeling, but Kim hoped her body would adjust because the pain wasn't likely to leave her anytime soon – not as long as she remembered this night; she'd feel this weight on her heart as long as she remembered how close they'd been to a cure for Shego only for it to have torn away forever. And no matter how much she punished the one responsible, no matter how deeply she cut into his body or how purple she made his bruises, nothing would change the fact that Shego was very much a prisoner in her own body, and in more ways than one.

_If only I'd acted instead of listening to Drakken's stupid monologue, maybe I could have grabbed that vial before he even thought to chip Shego…she wouldn't be held captive in her own head, and she certainly wouldn't be pissed to the Moon and back at me for taking control of her mind._ Now, because Kim had refused to act, terrified that Drakken would crush the vial at the slightest movement from either superhuman – which he had done regardless – those scant few millilitres of precious fluid lay contaminated on the floor. But there was more to it than that…

Ever since the onset of her supernatural abilities, Kim had been so used to hiding them behind a veneer of the familiar _Possible_ confidence, holding herself up as merely the overachieving daughter of a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon when there was far more to her character than that. In the past, Kim had always thought her reasoning sound – if she revealed the full truth about her abilities, those that sought to destroy her would quickly find a means to do so, whereas if she remained unknown, her powers a secret, and her life a half-truth, all those who would investigate her in an attempt to find her Achilles' heel would find their probing fruitless. Her powers would never become a weakness for her. If she kept the malevolent powers of the world looking one way, her own abilities would never come back to bite her in the end. And her ploy had worked perfectly.

Until today.

So accustomed to holding herself back, to letting herself be captured when she could quite possibly just sweep straight through a Lair unopposed – unstoppable – Kim had actually refused to act when it mattered the most that she do _something_. She'd inadvertently allowed her new partner to be taken host by a technology that she wouldn't have wished on her worst foe, and despite any thought to the contrary, Kim knew that was the truth. It was all her fault. Shego might hold some of the blame for plastering the chip to her own head, but it was because of Kim's inaction that Shego had eventually fallen and accepted her old employer's deal.

_So much power at my fingertips…_ Kim looked down at her hands as she stood in the dark hallway of Drakken's Montreal Lair. _So much Power…and I chose to keep it a secret at the cost of someone else's freedom. What am I going to do?_

Kim looked back the way she came, thinking about that tiny puddle on Drakken's floor. It would be a simple matter to collect every drop from the floor and separate out the impurities that had made their way into the precious chemical. Fragments of concrete dust and dirt that had flaked off from any number of boots were easy to detect and filter out for Kim, experienced as she was with this sort of thing.

But what of the cure itself?

Kim wasn't well-versed in chemistry, but she knew enough to know that this miracle fluid wasn't made up of one single chemical. That would have been too easy – and the Fates hated her just enough that they wouldn't want anything this important to be that easy, a problem so vital to be so simple to fix. And, there was also the fact that Kim didn't have the slightest idea about what Drakken's cure had been. How was she to know which of the plethora of chemicals and molecules were supposed to be there and which were the result of Drakken spilling something on his bedroom floor? Heck – how was Kim supposed to know if the cure was even all _there_, and that some small, essential element hadn't evaporated on contact with the air or reacted with something on the floor to transform the cure into something else entirely – perhaps even deadly?

Kim could inject the total unknown into Shego and hope, but she would not play roulette with her partner's life. And now Kim was left with only that sick, heavy feeling high in her chest.

Failure.

_If only…_

_No,_ Kim turned back to face the green-and-black painted door that led to Shego's room. _What's done is done, and it's time to face the music._ She stepped up to the panel and pressed the clearly marked yellow button, taking a breath to prepare herself. It was, ultimately, very possible that Shego could be on her in a vengeful rage before Kim could use her control over her partner to protect herself. God, it disgusted her to even think about doing that to Shego.

Fortunately, the door slid aside to a quiet and seemingly empty suite of rooms.

"Shego?" Kim stepped into the dimly lit living room. "Where are you?"

Pausing on the threshold, Kim was surprised to hear soft music filtering into the main room, coming from an open doorway through which she could just see the very corner of a black-covered bed. _Ah, the bedroom_. Kim held herself back from rushing into the room, deciding instead to slowly, silently make her way around the other side of Shego's living room, carefully looking over her partner's belongings – or at least, the belongings that she'd left here before she had left Drakken's employ in a blaze of anger and righteous fury.

The centre of the room was dominated by two couches – one an extra-long dark, dark green sofa and the other a midnight-black loveseat. It was almost the same setup as her own living room in her apartment, but the coffee table wasn't anywhere close to anything Kim owned. It was a short, rectangular table, almost as long as the sofa, carved from mahogany and topped with a solid slab of black marble. On the other side of the table from the couch, pushed up against the wall, there was a pretty large shelving unit with different sized shelves for everything from an expensive stereo system to row after row of video tapes, DVDs and dozen electronic devices that Kim didn't fee the need to investigate further. The shelf that would logically have held the impressive television set was vacant, containing instead an equally impressive dent in the steel-plated wall. That shelf's former occupant – a Plasma TV, ironically – was lying face-down on the black-carpeted floor, a huge chunk missing from one side. Kim took one look at the half-a-TV that was resting in front of her and felt the tiniest hint of amusement stir inside her.

_Someone got just a little frustrated,_ she mused, a thin smirk breaking her otherwise emotionless expression.

Kim moved further around the room, drawing nearer to the bedroom as she crossed in front of a double-wide bookshelf that was – surprisingly – filled from top to bottom. _Hm… I never figured you for a bookish person, Shego._ But there it was; all the well-known authors were there – Grisham, Crichton, Custler… and then there were some that Kim had never heard of – Jessica Rogers, Reichs, Jenkins… Shego even had a collection of poetry by Edgar Allan Poe. And, even more surprising were the three shelves devoted completely to Science Fiction and Fantasy. Star Trek, 2001, The View from the Mirror, Star Wars – _Damn, _Kim noted, _she must have every Star Wars novel out there. She's even got the whole Young Jedi Knights series. Kinda light reading for someone who's got the Wheel of Time a shelf below, but they _do_ look a little more worn. Maybe Shego brought them over from her Go City days. Still, I can't believe she would have read those._

_Lucky girl._

Kim had always had a small interest in the Science Fiction genre – and Star Wars especially – ever since that whole Pan-Dimensional Vortex incident. Actually, it had mostly been a keen curiosity for her. She'd only started wondering about those books after she had learned that Wade was often immersing himself within those pages. Kim thought that someone with Wade's intelligence wouldn't even want to waste their time with things like reading Science Fiction. Honestly, why read about it when you can make it? Half of Wade's gadgets and toys were cooler than any SciFi novel. Still, if Wade was so into it, Kim felt she should at least take a glance to see what the excitement was about – especially after that whole Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer thing. She hadn't understood a single thing that happened when she was stuck in that first TV show, but that experience had gotten her adrenaline pumping like nothing else. Not really better or worse, but – _different_. After all that, Kim had often thought that reading some science fiction might actually be kinda interesting.

Kim had never actually gotten around to doing it of course, being too busy saving the world, going to school, and now with the job she'd just quit. But now, looking at the bookshelf in front of her, she started to think. _Maybe Shego will be nice enough to share her collection._

_And speaking of Shego…_

Kim continued past the impressive and widespread gathering of books and finally found herself standing in the doorway to a dimly-lit bedroom.

The first thing Kim noticed were the bright blue walls. The colour was a light shade, but it was a pretty solid blue, and what struck Kim was the fact that it was neither black nor green.

_Actually,_ she looked a little more closely. _The blue's got a little bit of green in it – kind of similar to pale seawater._ She guessed that this was a compromise Shego had forced herself to make in order to keep her bedroom far away from the antiseptic feel of green paint and to avoid the tight, closed-in sensation that came with the darker colours of the spectrum. A woman like Shego was unlikely to want her bedroom to feel as small as a prison cell.

Still, Kim couldn't help but confess that she liked the colour that adorned her sleeping partner's walls. It didn't seem quite right for Shego, but she could easily picture repainting her own living room in this shade. A new couch cover would be simple to make.

But now certainly wasn't the time for thoughts like that. _Now_ was the time to assess the damage that had been done this night.

There was a body laid out on top of the pitch-black covers and Kim didn't need to see the unmistakable combination of green and black to recognise Shego. She'd know those curves anywhere. She'd seen them move slick as silk far more than enough times over the past seven years to know that striking figure even if she was blindfolded.

Oh, who was she kidding? She'd know _Shego_ anywhere. There was just a unique _sense_ that followed the villainess everywhere, something almost like a shadow but still different. More…_intimate_. It flowed from the woman as naturally as her spent breath, marking her and displaying her to the world as beauty and freedom and _power_ personified.

Kim silently entered the tranquil bedroom, doing her best to leave her partner undisturbed as she eagerly drank in the sight before her. Knowing how rare a scene this was – to see Shego so still and relaxed – she committed this moment to memory – this peaceful tableau of undeniable, unearthly beauty.

Drawing up to the occupied bed, Kim sat down and just stared at her companion, her other half. Her piercing forest green eyes were closed in sleep and her entire body was relaxed and virtually motionless for once, save for the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Wonder.

Awe.

Love.

Guilt.

Shame.

All these and so many more flitted through Kim's heart in the silent minutes that ticked past without rest – without a single ounce of consideration for the redhead who now sat watching over someone who had come to mean so, so much more to her than anyone she had ever known before.

It was still so amazing to Kim how far they had come in less than two days. From casual enemies to almost-lovers…_oh Hell, I might as well call us lovers. I've had more intimacy in the past two days than I have in twenty-two years. The fact that she can't touch me doesn't mean anything – we'll find a way._

_I know we will._

Coughing uncomfortably again, the sound no louder than a mumble, Kim shifted herself on the bed, lowering herself onto the warm, very comfortable duvet. _Wow, this is amazing_, she breathed a silent sigh of relief as the past two days finally caught up with her: cat-and-mouse with Shego downtown, an easy, laid-back one-on-one duel at Shego's place, a museum break-in, another more trying duel with Shego, a no-contest fight with the world's newest Kim Possible wannabe, a sever power drain from freeing herself of Drakken's mind control chip, another more serious power drain from locking the insane little bastard in the deepest pit and shadows of his own monocellular brain, and now…_here_ – finally lying down to give herself the rest she'd earned. She closed her emerald eyes lightly.

The rest she'd earned.

_No,_ Kim's mind rebelled. _Not yet,_ She had earned no respite yet, not while she had one thing left to do.

Opening her eyes, Km rolled onto her side and looked into the face of her pale-skinned jewel. Shego may not be able to speak back, but experience had taught Kim that there was nothing stopping Kim from confessing and telling her lover the one thing that she needed right now, and even though it could never make everything right, it was a good step in the right direction.

"I'm sorry, Shego."

_I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to stop Drakken._ She reached up with one hand and brushed her slender fingers across the still and silent woman's cheek. _I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to break free sooner._ She turned her hand so that she could cup her villainess' cheek in her hand, as though it were the most precious thing in the world that it was.

_This_ was worth fighting for. Kim stared into Shego's peaceful face, awe filling her heart with a light, powerful, and fearless feeling. _This _was what heroes fought and died for – for the people of the world around them to be able to live…and _love._

_I'm sorry I wasn't good enough._

She felt the change come over Shego's mind even as the slightest tremor swept through the green-skinned woman's face, the barest of shudders rushed through the super-thief's consciousness. Shego was waking up and Kim only had a few more seconds before she'd be forced to speak to her.

_I'm sorry, but I'm going to make it right again._

_I'm going to help you get through this, if you'll let me._

_I promise._

Dark, forest green eyes opened to stare lifelessly at Kim, sparking her Heroine's protective instincts to full battle mode.

_If I have to walk through the darkest depths of Hell…_

_I promise._

* * *

**Author: **Okay, there it was, friends. Give me some time and the next bit will be up now. I think the end of this chapter of my planned series is in sight. I'm hoping to have this part done by chapter 20. See you then.

**Next Chapter:** Aftermath. What more need I say?


	17. Aftermath

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Seventeenth – Aftermath

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. Okay, seriously, now. If you've made it this far in the story, **YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS! **Stop reading if a same-sex pairing offends you

**Rating:** PG-15. Some language.

**Spoilers:** None…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation. If they did belong to me, Kim Possible would be going into her eighth or ninth season but no one would be watching anymore because of the sheer insanity that I would bring to the universe…

* * *

**Summary:** Exactly what it says…the next morning.

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**Chapter XVII**

Shego was used to waking up in the Montreal Lair. Hell, she'd had her ass served up to her by Kim more than enough times that she'd seriously thought about applying for Canadian citizenship; if only the Canucks wouldn't have her imprisoned on sight, despite the futility of the gesture.

Waking up in Montreal had always been a bit of a leisurely, quiet affair given the anonymity that Drakken had actually managed to work hard enough to achieve and maintain – at least here. Shego could usually spend a few minutes lying in bed contemplating her life and other such philosophical topics before rousing herself to get on with the regrouping that was business as usual around here. There would soon be henchmen to hire, the previous staff of idiots having fled before, during, or after Kim Possibles arrival at whatever lair they'd previously been occupying. There would be training dummies to pulverize and obstacle courses to run as Shego sought vainly to bring her skills up to Kim's insurmountable level. Overall, staying at the Montreal Lair usually meant something of a working holiday to the super-powered martial artist.

So, when she was awoken here by a feeling that was not unlike a hand grenade going off in her face, she knew something was up.

_Holy God!_

One minute, Shego was locked in the peaceful neverland between sleep and the waking world, dreaming dreams that would fade the minute she became aware again, and then her head was ablaze with torturous, stabbing knives of blazing fire.

_What – Fuck!_

Shego grabbed for her face as a shrill yowl of agony exploded from deep inside her chest and the pain seemed to triple thanks simply to her awareness. It felt as if she'd been stupid enough to jam a gas pipe into one ear and then spun the valve on the tank open. There was an unbearable pressure building up inside her skull with no sign of release in sight. If this Hell decided to persist, Shego might actually consider volunteering herself for the Trepani ritual, given the possibility of finding a doctor or priest willing to help her.

And as if _that_ weren't enough, the outside of Shego's head felt like it had been thrust into the very heart of the Sun, and she was within only a few degrees of being instantly vaporized and wiped off the face of the Earth. But considering the roar of her own screams in her ears, she wasn't entirely sure that would be a bad thing. Then there was the taste of her own fillings invading her mouth and her tongue feeling like it was being roasted by the small supernova that seemed to have enveloped her head for the time being.

…_Ah – God!_

Suddenly coming to awareness of the rest of her body, Shego felt her blood flowing like lava in her veins even as her bones were freezing within her. Her skin was being simultaneously incinerated and flash-frozen, leaving her quickly running out of tolerance for this Hellish sensation that seemed completely bent on her utter and total destruction, but not before robbing her of her sanity.

Then, just as abruptly, there was only silence.

Total, blessed _silence_.

_Thank the Good Lord…_

Calming her breath, Shego felt her protesting muscles slowly coming down off of their fiery pedestals, relaxing as the Whatever-the-Hell pain lifted away from her body, fleeing from the super-thief's prone form as though to avoid her wrath. A black-gloved hand reached up to Shego's face, wiping the sweat from her forehead and trying to massage away the pounding monster migraine that was throbbing its way around her frontal lobe as though every percussion instrument that had ever belted out the 1812 overture – cymbals and cannons alike – were prancing around inside the very cramped space of her skull.

"God Dammit," she breathed under her breath, wondering briefly at the source of her wake-up call from Hades. Sitting up, Shego tried to turn her mind to better thoughts:

Like training for her next encounter with Kim Possible for instance.

She couldn't quite remember what blunder of Drakken's had driven them into hiding this time, but they'd all kind of started blending together over the three years that she'd been fighting tooth and claw against the cheerleader. The girl may have had a hand in Shego's current…handicap and her resultant inability to safely interact with people and make friends, but she sure knew how to fight. A slow, satisfied smile made its way onto Shego's face as she remembered some of their more spectacular encounters and how much of a rush she'd gotten from scrapping with the girl.

_And God do I hate admitting to that._

Opening her eyes, Shego almost felt her smile hit the floor, leaping from her face like it was a sinking ship. _What the-?_

Perched on the black stone footboard of her bed, one hand outstretched just slightly toward the villainess and white sparks fading from bright emerald eyes, crouched the one person Shego had never expected to see here. It actually looked like sparks were dancing between her slightly spread fingers, but the display was gone before Shego could be sure. But still, funny lights aside, the girl before her was a most unexpected sight

Kim Possible.

In all her redheaded glory.

Drawing her black duvet up around herself in an uncharacteristically defensive gesture, Shego took a moment to take in the sight before breaking the tension-charged silence.

The…woman perched in front of her was Kim Possible alright; Shego could tell from the overall feel of the scent-flavours wafting off her mind. But even so, there seemed something a little…different about her. The hair was the same, but the clothes were definitely something new. There wasn't a crop top in sight – only a black tank top, revealing long, trim arms and a stylish, almost elegant _S_ etched onto the heroine's left collarbone and looking suspiciously like a tattoo. Even crouched, Kim appeared to have grown a few centimetres since Shego had last seen her, her arms and legs a little more tone than before. The hair was the same, but the eyes were a little brighter, a little older-seeming. And there were dark lines beneath them, as though sleep had been an elusive thing for the cheerleader for the past little while. Otherwise, everything else seemed to be in place as far as Shego was concerned. The slight fear and relief emanating from Kimmie's mind smell-tasted genuine enough.

But still, what was she doing _here_?

Ever the student of subtlety, Shego finally broke the silence, "What the Hell are you doing here?"

The fear being absorbed by the green-skinned villainess' sixth sense spiked, gaining an element of guilt, disappointment, and not a small splash of horror. Shego didn't know what to make of that, but she saw Kim withdrawing a little, her sorrow growing. Dark forest green eyes narrowed in thought as Shego felt an increasing…_wrongness_ hanging about the scene, like something was missing.

Just as she was about to inquire of her nemesis once more, Shego felt something brush against one of her legs as she shifted nervously under that piercing gaze. Something small and hard by the feel of it through her bodysuit. Looking down, Shego's curiosity was piqued and she plucked the scorched chip of metal from her sheets, examining it more closely.

It was pretty badly burned, but it looked like it might have at one time been a small microchip. Now, it was a charred and useless scrap of silicon circuits. Turning the chip over in her hand, Shego saw the burned-out diode in the centre of the black square and gasped as everything suddenly fell into place.

It was one of Drakken's mind control chips.

Abruptly, like a floodgate being opened, the past four years of her life returned to Shego, rushing back in seconds after having been briefly chased away by the unbearable agony of having the small chip forcibly removed from her head.

"Oh."

The tiniest shadow of a smile left its ghostly touch on Kim's lips at Shego's simple acknowledgement of the turbulent past that she'd temporarily forgotten. "Yeah," she chuckled mirthlessly as she lifted her chin in silent invitation, her intent clear.

Now that Shego remembered what had happened last night, her anger started to return full force. Anger at Drakken for dragging both of them to a humiliating place, at herself for being so weak that she fell so quickly – so _willingly_ for the man's trap, at Kim for being so affected that she couldn't escape before Shego caught her, and at the world in general for letting all this bad crap happen to them. Then, there was the memory of Kim forcing her control over Shego, driving her from the room before the redhead had a little "talk" with industrial accident-boy. She had the clear memory of being locked in her room by her own body, free but imprisoned at the same time, of remembering the promise she'd made to Mom and how blindingly voluntarily she would have thrown it all away without Kim's interference. How easily could her integrity have been completely shredded to pieces if her body had been hers to control?

Yes, it was clear to Shego what Kim was inviting from her: punishment. From the heartfelt, tearful words the ex-heroine had shared with her yesterday, it seemed Kim would willingly submit to any punishment that Shego asked for violating her mind with her telepathy. The slight tang of defiance floating off the young woman told Shego that Kim still believed that she'd done the right thing in making Shego leave and taking the matter upon herself and would still have done it if she were forced to repeat the experience, but she would yield to Shego if the villainess thought any differently.

Then, there was the growing comprehension as Shego realized what the fading whiteness in Kim's eyes had meant, as well as the agony that had woken her up in the first place and the fact that there wasn't a silicon phase disrupter anywhere close by – portable or otherwise. Apparently, Drakken hadn't ever intended to honour their agreement and free her from his microchip. Of course, Shego could have figured _that one_ out by just reminding herself of her former employer's aggravating and infuriating rant from earlier. And so, left without a technological solution to free her partner, Kim had obviously fallen back on her own abilities, almost frying Shego's brain in the process.

Well – it had _felt_ like that at least.

And now here sat Kim, awaiting Shego's judgement for taking such unexpected liberties – using her powers to take control of the fiery-spirited woman and consciously wielding a force of nature against her in the form of a bolt of lightning.

Releasing her hold on the duvet she'd wrapped around herself like a shield, Shego stood from the bed and walked around it to stand beside Kim with a sure, steady certainty – a confidence that was for her a defining trait. For a moment, she just stood and stared down at the redhead who wouldn't meet her eyes for more than a few seconds at a time. For a long minute, the two women were frozen face to face, one crouched on the bed and the other standing beside, but both unsure of what to do now – how to deal with the aftermath of last night.

Then, in a move that surprised both of them, but seemed more shocking to Kim, Shego found herself standing very close to Kim with her arms wrapped tightly about the redhead's shoulders, her own trembling unceasingly with the force of her pent-up emotions. Without saying a word, Shego buried her face in Kim's fiery red mane and just broke down crying, the events of last night finally coming crashing down on her all at once.

She didn't make a sound, but the hitch in her breath and the violent shuddering in her shoulders were more than enough for Kim to know what was happening to her partner. Shego felt the tears pouring down her face and she just knew she'd be embarrassed about this later, but for now she really couldn't bring herself to care. Right now, all she could think about was how messed up her life was and how much she hated men like Drakken – men with so little integrity or honour that they treated their allies no better than the enemy – as if there were a thousand more where Shego came from…as if she was nothing more than a drywall nail to them…a bullet in an entire magazine.

And as she leaned on her all-too-willing companion, Shego felt her mind going back in time and then following the way her life had gone ever since her life had gone to Hell.

First, Drakken had manipulated her and Kim's first meeting so he could get Shego on his side, and then he'd just kept adding to that one lie with every single word that came from his filthy, cowardly mouth. Then, when Shego was so sure she'd rid herself of the devious, detestable little fool and had seen the last she would ever see of him, he'd somehow managed to pop his repulsive blue head into her life again, claiming to have an innocent deal for her…a _business proposition_. She should have known not to trust him with anything ever again, but her need had been too great to ignore. Before this last week, Shego might have tried to make a grab for that vial or dragged her climbing claws across his blue face and cure be damned, but whether or not she'd managed to snatch that cure from him wouldn't have been so big a deal to her. Shego had adjusted well enough to the life that vile snake had forced upon her. She'd adapted well enough to her new reality, understanding that Drakken's violation of her biology had made her something of a lone wolf – like it or not…and for a time she'd been content with her life. Maybe she hadn't been the happiest she could have been, but she'd been quite a loner for most of her life so it wasn't really a massive change.

When it came down to it, Shego would have been content last week if every hope of her ever again living a normal life again had been exhausted, if she knew for certain that she'd be stuck like this for the rest of her life. She wouldn't have liked it at all, but she could have lived with it.

Not anymore.

Reuniting with Kim after all this time had awoken something within Shego, an overpowering sense of strength and determination and – _power_ – that made her feel that she could take down the Devil himself if Kim was in danger.

But if she were gone…

Maybe _that's_ what she was so afraid of about going soft; if Kim was with her, Shego didn't feel like going soft was so bad a thing, but she knew she would just lose her mind if Kim were to be taken anywhere she couldn't follow. Shego knew that the fight would simply leave her body and spirit if she were to become alone once more. She would completely lose all the will to live if she had to wake up alone to face this cruel, unforgiving, and malicious world.

That was thing though, wasn't it? First Drakken had tricked her so easily it was shameful, and then Kim had unwittingly given her the keys to her prison, the gift of knowledge. And now, four years later – four years wiser – they'd reunited and cleared the slate between them to find something wonderful waiting for them – there for the taking. Now that Shego and Kim were on the same page – in the same script at last – they'd found that they could actually create something together. They stood to gain so much more from laying aside their sham of a conflict than they did in continuing their pointless blood feud.

And now Shego had found the most chilling truth in this whole affair:

Without Kim, Shego would be nothing. Where before she had been blissfully ignorant of the fulfilment and wonder to be had just a single breaking-and-entering away, now Shego would know that something was missing from her life and she'd be all too painstakingly aware of exactly what that something – or rather, some­_one_ – was. Now that Shego had allowed herself to open this Pandora's Box that was in her heart, and might have been there for longer than she knew, she knew there was no going back. There was no chance at all for them to go back to the way things were; it wasn't a simple, cut-and-dry math equation – like adding one to one and getting two only to take one away again.

When Kim and Shego had laid bare their hearts to one another, something inside Shego had changed – something that could never happen in something as impersonal as _math_.

But, oddly enough – bizarre as it might be – Shego hadn't a single regret. She would never go back for all the treasures in the world. She really wouldn't, and that's what terrified her most about the changing relationship between her and Kim. The fact that she wouldn't trade anything for the return to that invincible emotional armour behind which she'd hidden for almost all her life was so completely foreign to her that she couldn't help fearing what would happen next now that her heart was in such a vulnerable place that she had vowed to never place it. She didn't have a single urge to put that protection back on because she now realized the truth of it all:

It just wasn't worth it.

That impenetrable fortress of harsh sarcasm, witty retorts and innuendoes wasn't worth the void and utter pointlessness that she would be living through otherwise. All the sun baths and tropical vacations in the world couldn't compare to this new, frightening but irresistible bond that was growing between her and her greatest enemy. That fortified Island upon which she'd tried so stubbornly to isolate herself had finally been revealed for the desolate, lifeless Rock that it always was, and Shego had no desire to return there – not when she'd seen Heaven.

No, the only option open to Shego now was to stay and work at what was quickly growing and blossoming between her and Kimmie, and do her best to help this thing to flourish into something unique and…_beautiful_.

And God help anyone who tried to split them apart or destroy their creation.

At that thought, Shego felt her sudden torrent of tears subside, and she slowly made her way back to the present world. Shego's grip on her partner's shoulders eased, as her embrace became ever less a desperate attempt to hide from the world and ever more a desire to simply hold and be held. Drawing her head back from Kim's soft, silky red hair, Shego stood straighter and looked down into the bright, shining emerald eyes before her.

"Not one word," Shego ordered, gesturing to make it clear she was talking about the tear tracks on her face. "_Ever._"

Kim nodded slowly, a small, beatific smile lighting up her face and her bright, emerald eyes. "No big, Shego – but only if I'm still allowed to get close when this," she shrugged lightly, "unspeakable happens again."

Shego snorted once, her hands still resting on her other half's shoulders. "That goes without saying." She wiped her face to remove any lingering trace of her tears. "But I would love it if we could just stop riding this emotional roller coaster – I'm sick of it and it's not fair that this shit is _always _landing on my head."

Kim smirked, but not at her thief's expense. "It's not fair, but it's life." Then, before Shego could pull away, Kim drew her close with her hands buried deep in the long strands of the black wig the villainess wore, allowing her next words to be whispered straight into her ear. "But as bad as Life can be, as unfair and insane as this world or the next may get, I want you to hear one thing, Shego. I want you to understand this one thing if nothing else." Kim paused for a single moment and Shego felt her own eyes closing as her newly reawakened empathy set itself on Kim's mind, drinking in the fragrance of fear, of hope, of peaceful calm, of sincerity, and the greatest of these: _Love_.

"As long as there is a breath in my body," Kim whispered gently, "As long as there is a beat in my heart," her hands moved down to wrap around Shego's waist in a loose hug. "As long as there is a single Star in the Heavens, and as long as you'll let me, I will love you with all my soul."

Shego's closed eyes tightened even more as she felt them threatening to tear up again at the soft-spoken declaration from her redheaded angel. "Thank you," she breathed across the scant few hair breadths that separated them.

Kim nodded silently, burrowing her head into Shego's shoulder for a few moments before withdrawing and slipping from her embrace at last. "Listen, Shego – I know you probably heard me last night, but I want to say it again – I _need_ to say it again-."

The sudden spike of guilt and shame in Kim's scent-flavours caused Shego to reach out to lay one finger on Kim's lips before she could stop herself. "I know, Kim. If you really need me to say it, you're forgiven." The slight shudder of relief that swept through Kim's shoulders at the absolution had Shego explaining before she could help herself. "In a way, I should be thanking you for keeping me out of that room, but that's a story that can wait for another time, another place." She smirked minutely, "Right now, I just want to get out of here; we can come back for my stuff."

Kim nodded once more and pulled out of their comfortable, safe embrace. "Okay, back to business – I can do that." She looked over at Shego, worry suddenly etching her features. "Is your head okay, you've got quite a burn there," Kim pointed at her own temple.

"I-," Shego stopped. _Weird…_ "Actually, I feel great." She did, and that was very odd. Kim just hit her with a lightning bolt; shouldn't something be going wrong in her body by now? Oh well, time enough to think about all that later. "So," Shego glanced around her room casually. "I'm going to go ahead and assume you searched the place before you tried to fry my brain."

Kim smiled a little at that. "Yeah, I did." A sick look came over her features, "I found a little more than I bargained for…"

"Oh, really?" Shego felt a brief swell of hope, but it deflated just as quickly when Kim's expression remained downcast. "What is it?"

Kim looked away guiltily, coughing quietly, "No cure," she turned back to face Shego. "I looked everywhere, I broke down every locked door, I tore apart every file cabinet, and I scanned every square centimetre of this place for secret compartments. Nothing."

"Then what's that?" Shego nodded her head at the small black box that she could now see sitting on the floor by the corner of her bed now that she'd stood up from it. It was a tiny box, too small to hold anything much, but it could easily hold one or two of those small vials.

"Oh, that." Kim bent down to pick it up and fiddled with it, cracking it open a few centimetres before closing it with a _snap_ and repeating. "I found the lab where Drakken used his…whatever it was to give you your Plasma." She opened the box and showed the contents to Shego:

Three vials, all of them full.

"Apparently," Kim went on, "Drakken wasn't content to stop with you."

Shego turned a horrified, disbelieving look on Kim as she picked up one of the vials. It was filled with an unappealing, transparent green solution – an identical match to the colour of her Plasma. "He can't have more people out there like me…"

Kim shook her head. "No, I don't think he does. It doesn't look like anyone's been in that room in years – there was dust all over the place and there's something growing in the garbage can even." The heroine winced a little as she thought of something she'd seen, coughing uneasily again. "I think his plan might have been for me or you to clean up that mess ourselves knowing full well what he planned to be using that lab for." Kim rubbed her wrists lightly in an unconscious gesture, unaware that Shego was watching her every move with sharp eyes. "Then, he was probably going to lay someone down on that table to double his army of Plasma-charged super-thieves."

The implication was clear. "Where is he?" Shego's eyes narrowed as her anger rose. That worm dared to think that he could kidnap and defile her Princess with his vile, repulsive creation? Oh, she had to have a few words with him – that is, if Kim had left enough of him for her to deal with.

"He's alive, Shego – I'll tell you that much, but I don't know if he can hear you." Kim gently took the vial from the pale woman's fingers and placed it back in the foam-cushioned box, snapping it shut with a sharp _click_. "You will never have to see him again, and that is a promise."

Shego shook her head stubbornly, "No – I really need to see him. I can't believe how arrogant he was to think he could-." She looked over at Kim suddenly, "Are you sure that was meant for you?" She nodded her head to the small box still held in his partner's hands.

Kim sighed. "Well, short of finding a printout of this latest scheme of his, yes." She paused for a breath. "I was in his mind, Shego, and when I left it, I saw things…images, random thoughts and emotions. None of it really made sense, and all I know for sure is that he had something awful planned for us, for you especially, but he seemed to think that you'd be glad for it, like it was something you would want."

Shego thought about it, "Oh, who knows with him? Could be he was going to have me inject you with this…poison. It's the kind of poetic justice I wanted back then – before I knew the whole story." Shego smirked a little suddenly, "So, what'd you do to him?" As shame flooded into the air from Kim's mind, Shego reached out to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't feel so bad about what you did, Kim; you're nothing if not fair, so whatever happened to him is probably closer to justice than what I would have done." She sat down on the bed, pulling Kim down beside her. "I mean, you said he's still alive, so you're already doing better than I would have. Tell me – what did you do to him?"

Kim swallowed nervously, coughing quietly again. "I did quite a bit to his outside; dislocated his shoulder, half-strangled him, kicked his knee in, shattered his ankle. Maybe I cracked or broke a rib or three, but I don't know for sure." Kim shifted her sitting position on the bed, clearly uncomfortable with the entire _Avenging Angel_ image she saw in herself as she remembered those minutes. "When I was in his mind, I stripped him of control and chained him up in the deepest corner of his mind."

Shego stared at Kim in disbelief, "For how long?"

"Until I go back and free him," Kim stated bluntly, "He's still there, but I told him I wanted the five years that you'd been ready to give up for me. I might not remember to go free him though, given how exciting our lives are about to get."

Shego let out a short bark of laughter, falling back to lie on the bed. "That's funny, Kim – I toldja you were fair. Tough, but fair. Okay, so he's unresponsive as a log by now?"

Kim nodded, "Without his mind to keep his body under control, Drakken's body is a shell, empty of any thought – of any discernible sign of intelligence, although that could be considered an improvement. I dropped him off at Lakeshore General before coming back here to look for a cure. They'll probably diagnose him as comatose or catatonic."

Shego nodded slowly. "Justice," she said slowly, seriously. She was impressed that Kim had actually gone to the trouble of transporting that vile lizard to medical help after all he had done to them. He wouldn't have gotten that courtesy from Shego if she'd been in control of her body. _Thank you, Kim…_ "So, Kimmie. What do you say we get out of here? There are a couple of toys from Drakken's workshop that I want to take with me, but we don't need to stick around." She stood up and looked around at her bedroom. "And I kinda want to see this Lab that you found."

"Okay," Kim nodded, her unease rising fractionally, "But you won't like it. I meant it when I said he probably hadn't cleaned it since you were in there." Her face twisted into a grimace again at some image that rose unbidden to the fore of her mind. "Well," she stood from the bed and held one hand out to Shego, "Let's get going."

"Alright," Shego accepted the offered hand and allowed herself to be lifted to her feet. Then, as they made their way out of the bedroom, Shego stopped suddenly, "Wait." She trotted over to her nightstand and pulled a few things out of the drawer, tossing them carelessly onto the bed and moving on to her dresser.

"What are you doing?" Kim leaned casually against the doorjamb, remaining only halfway in Shego's bedroom to avoid the taller woman as she darted around the room, gathering up clothes and assorted objects from her closet, an apparently rarely-used desk, and the tall black dresser.

"Well," Shego threw an mp3 player onto the bed, "I kinda left in a hurry last time, so there are some things I left behind that I would have liked to have taken with me."

Kim nodded as Shego's pile on the bed continued to grow, "Just keep in mind that our carrying space is kind of limited right now, with both of us on your bike."

Shego stopped for a moment. "Right, but when we eventually come back to clear out my stuff, I don't want to spend any more time here than I have to."

"Why not?" Kim pushed off of her leaning post and studied her partner's movements. "It seems like this place could make a pretty good base of operations for when we finally get set up, and except for that one laboratory…"

Shego froze, considering Kim's idea carefully. "It might work," she still didn't want to spend too much time in this place. It had been the safest place for Shego in all her eight years as a criminal, but then Drakken had destroyed the sense of safety and security with his latest botched plot. Shego knew she wouldn't have had a good night's sleep if she hadn't been chipped. Or maybe it was being held so close to Kim that had eased her fear, but she knew this place didn't feel as safe as it used to.

On the other hand, with Drakken gone and control of the facility falling to Shego and Kim…there was an opportunity to plug up any holes in the security system that she hadn't cared to mention before. _Yeah,_ she mused – _I'll bet Drakken's left a lot of junk lying around that we could use. We _are_ about to take on a worldwide criminal syndicate after all…_ She nodded slowly, "This place still isn't on any radars at all, or Drakken wouldn't have been hiding out here after all this time. If we need a safe house…okay – deal. I guess the more places we have to stay, the better it might work out in the end." Shego straightened and started for the door, stopping in front of Kim. "I still want to see that lab before we leave."

Kim nodded silently, accepting that Shego would not be denied on this. "Okay, fine." She moved out into Shego's living room and sat herself down on the couch, looking up only when she realized that Shego was staring at her impatiently. "What?" Shego's irritation drifted into her awareness and she suddenly understood. "You don't know where it is?"

Shego snorted, "I woke up in the infirmary, and he kept that place spotless. I think that was mostly because _he_ usually ended up there quite a few times whenever we stayed here; he was always fooling with something that would explode or catch fire spontaneously and without fail." She started moving for the door again. "So, are we going to head out or do you want to spend even more time in my room?" She smirked suggestively, "I'm sure we could find something to occupy us." She raised an eyebrow.

Without replying – but grinning widely nonetheless –, Kim stood up and followed behind her partner as they both strode out of the suite of rooms. "Your bed is certainly more special than an alley." She brushed her hand through her bright hair. "But you're wrong you know; you woke up at least once in that lab," an uncomfortable unease slithered through Kim's mind as a cough rose quietly in her throat, and Shego wanted to wrinkle her nose at the ashen, bitter taste in her mouth. "It wasn't the best experience for you though, so I can understand if you've repressed the memory."

Shego's step faltered for but a second, but then she was back on track. Repressed? Shego had never even considered that she could have repressed _anything_ in her memories. For all her life, Shego had been in control of her life and had bowed to no one if she was so disinclined. She had faced all manner of gruesome or hideous sights that would have loosened the bowels of any man twice her age without flinching. But the idea that there was something out there that had been so traumatic that her own mind had blocked it out for its own protection had never before occurred to her. Now that it had, the pale villainess was having second thoughts about the merit of seeing that room and reawakening long-dead memories that might just be best left buried and forgotten in the past. Besides, what purpose would it serve to see what had actually happened? By Kim's word, Drakken was already serving the most just form of punishment possible. Imprisoned in his own mind, the little man was incapable of escaping and could do nothing but think and consider the consequences of his past actions and schemes. It would benefit no one for Shego to dig up her past demons – it would only cause more pain when all she wanted to do was put all this nastiness behind her and focus on the very young, very beautiful woman now keeping pace at her side.

But still…

"Tell me everything you saw…"

It was something she had to do.

"Alright, Shego…"

And Kim knew it.

* * *

Shego stared at the massive iron door.

The locked barrier seemed more suitable for a maximum security prison – the kind of place that was foolishly built to try and contain Shego herself – or a bank vault than a laboratory. There was a tiny window in the door – barely large enough to peek into the room beyond. The door must have been half-a-metre thick at the very least, but nothing Shego couldn't blast through.

"So, this is Drakken's little shop of horrors," Shego reached up a bare hand to trail her fingers across the steel-reinforced door, sneering as her touch left behind five thin trails of molten metal that instantly began to run straight down along the surface, slowing gradually as they drew away from the impressive source of heat. "Did he really think he could keep me out of here? He didn't even try to plate it with his alloy."

"Well," Kim coughed suddenly. "You'd have to know that this place was down here before you could break in." She looked back down the short, dimly-lit and filthy hallway that led this way from a tiny elevator that seemed just a little longer than a standard medical gurney. The undersized lift had been surprisingly well-hidden and had carried them down over a hundred metres before stopping and opening up to this invisible level. It seemed that the elevator travelled to this floor and this floor alone, but Kim wasn't so sure she could trust this place at face value anymore. Drakken had proven himself to be far too devious and sinister to be taken lightly. No longer, however, "I mean, I'll bet you wouldn't have ever thought to check in his room for the only access to this place – especially if you actually fell for his story that I was the one who did this to you." She waved one hand at the already-cooling trails of liquid metal that Shego had created in the door.

"Probably not." Shego frowned, "And never under his bed – that's just sick on so many levels." She shuddered visibly at the thought. _God, what that man might have done in that bed is something I shouldn't have to think about. Ever._ "What made you think to check there?" Shego lowered her shields enough to allow Kim's natural scent-flavours to ease her revulsion. "I mean, you had to be at least as disturbed as I was by what might have been going on in that bed, so where did you get the stomach to check out what was underneath the damn thing?"

Kim grinned, not disturbed in the least, apparently. "Considering the fact that he sleeps with a teddy bear, footie pyjamas, and a stocking cap, considers chocolate-tomato milkshakes to be comfort food," she winced at the very idea, "And probably couldn't pick up a woman – or a man, for that matter – to save his life…there's probably not too much going on in his bedroom beyond sleeping."

Shego felt a slight wave of embarrassment wafting off of her partner's mind. "Oh, really?" She crossed her arms as she levelled a serious look at the redhead.

Kim shrugged sheepishly. "It was an accident really," she relented. "I found Drakken's last supply of mutagenic formula in his bedside table and I may have gotten a little…upset." She paused, "I swear, as soon as I saw those vials, the pieces that I'd seen in his mind just fell into place and I lost it. For an instant, I really considered going back to the hospital and finishing what I'd started, but I stopped myself."

"Good girl," Shego muttered seriously. "That explains the splintered bed and the general chaos that became of his room since I left it. It almost looks like a tornado went through it…" She raised her eyebrow at Kim, receiving nothing but a heated blush of shame. "No kidding?" The green-skinned woman found her eyes widening at the unspoken revelation, but she shook her head and moved on without commenting. There'd be enough time to discuss the scope of Kimmie's powers later. "Seriously, though…" She thought about Kim's words. "I think I would have liked to serve out some old-fashioned rage and revenge on that bastard, but I wouldn't have been able to live with myself afterward." Shego glowered at the locked door and then glanced curiously at the woman beside her. "I thought you said you broke down every door in this place?" They hadn't seen a single door since they'd left her rooms; all that had remained of the dozens of steel-plated barriers to Kim Possible's search were numerous open doorways filled with tremendous puddles of slowly evaporating water. "I gotta tell you, Kimmie," Shego smirked suddenly, "If we actually end up taking this place as a base of operations, we're going to be spending a bundle to replace all the doors you've melted. I mean, half of the doors in this place wouldn't have even been locked."

Kim rolled her eyes at this criticism. "Okay, first of all – I was still a little pissed so locked or unlocked it made no difference, and second – I didn't melt them, I turned them into water. There's a difference." A slight tang of unease bled into her mind's flavour. "I came down here and looked through the window, but that's all I did. I didn't think it would be right for me to barge in and steal more of your memories without your permission, particularly the bad ones." When Shego merely canted one eyebrow at her, the heroine relented. "Maybe I was a little afraid of what I'd see if I opened that door."

Shego nodded, accepting the honest answer without comment. "Well, I'm a little afraid too, but I don't back down." She raised her hands to blast the door apart.

"Wait." Kim reached up with one hand to pull Shego back. "You don't want to damage anything that's in there; let me." At her partner's silent nod, Kim's other hand came up to press against the solid iron-and-steel surface.

A moment later, a spider web of ice crystals had formed under Kim's hand and began to spread across the whole door, bringing with it a ripple of ice that transformed the thick barrier into a sheet of frozen water. Then, as Kim continued to concentrate, her eyes half-closed, a second transformation swept through the mass of ice and Shego suddenly found herself staring straight into a scene out of a horror movie as the ice under Kim's hand turned to a wall of standing water, giving them an unobstructed view into the laboratory beyond.

There were counters and cabinets all around the walls of the small room, surrounding a white-tiled floor with a couple tables around a medical bed. It didn't appear as if there were any other doors or windows in the lab, making the bright fluorescent lights the only available light source in the room – that and a massive light with five bulbs that was suspended on an arm from overhead and hung so it was angled straight at the bed in the centre of the room; for medical purposes and the ease of visibility of course.

And, speaking of the bed…

Shego's mute observation of Drakken's secret lab was interrupted by a loud splash as Kim pulled her hand away from the crystal clear door, leaving the sheet of water susceptible to the effect of gravity. "Here you go, Shego." Her voice was little more than a quiet mumble as she tried not to disturb the thoughts she could sense running through her partner's mind.

Shego only nodded her thanks to the redhead and stepped over the wet threshold and into a room she had absolutely no memory of ever seeing.

Kim might have been right about this room having not been cleaned. Dust hung in whisper-thin blankets over every surface and the air had the coppery bite of dried blood. Looking to the bed and eyeing the wisp of cobwebs that clung to the bars underneath, Shego saw stains of crusted brown and black dotting the sheets at about the halfway point of it and the railing was half-melted at the same places, having sagged slightly at one point and then cooled before it could break off completely.

Only one of Shego's hands was gloved, and it came up to brush against the blood-stained sheet, disturbing the almost nonexistent layer of dust that may have been there for the last seven years. There was no way to really be sure. But, as the pale woman's gloved fingers ran across the black streaks of dried blood, whether or not the room had been entered recently became irrelevant as an image rose unhindered and unwanted in Shego's mind

_Lying on this very bed, hands engulfed in the fiery inferno of twin stars, Shego gazed up in terror as a face masked in false concern swam into view. She could make out no details, consumed in the agony of her burning hands as she was, but those dark, almost black, beady eyes would stay in her memory forever, seared into her mind but unattached to any particular face – reserved only for the darkest of frigid nightmares._

It was the very epitome of the faceless terror that haunted children's nightmares.

With a start, Shego removed her hand from the dusty, bloodstained sheets and resisted the impulse to flee from the lab at the greatest speed possible. There might be answers here, answers that Shego would not allow Kim to find alone. Knowing what happened in this very room, they were each all too likely to need the support of the other to survive this.

Still, Shego stared down at her bare hand, surrounded by the same emerald glow that she had carried for seven years. She remembered waking up that day in the infirmary:

* * *

**(((flashback)))**

"_How are you feeling, Shego?"_

_Eyes closed, Shego turned towards the voice. "Water," she managed to croak in a raspy, dry voice. She thought she recognized the other voice, but the last thing she remembered was…_

_A cold glass was held to her lips, forestalling her trek into her memory. "There you go…" The voice was quiet, warm…_safe_. "Now, can you tell me what you remember?" There was a soft creak as the other sat back in a chair._

_Shego risked opening her eyes, vaguely remembering books she'd read where that action was almost invariably a bad idea._

_Reality proved to be no exception. With a groan of protest, she screwed her eyes shut against the offensive and painful light and instead drank deeply from the cup offered to her. Ice cold water slid down her throat, soothing in its freshness. When she felt the cup being taken away, she tried to remember, feeling her forehead tighten as her eyebrows drew together…congregating to discuss the matter perhaps. "I was…fighting, I think." She felt her lips twist into the tiniest of peaceful smiles. "It was the most fun I'd had in years." _

Ever since before Mom died…

_Shego opened her eyes slowly, braving the mercilessly bright light so she could make out the face of her companion. "Who was she?" The nineteen year old looked up into a pale blue face…her employer. _Dr Drakken…_she remembered now – she'd hired out her services to some nobody scientist with inferiority issues and a grudge against his old High School friends. He'd offered money, and she'd accepted, seeing it as a way to have her needs taken care of so she could focus on what she liked most: fighting._

"_Her name is Kim Possible," Drakken offered quietly, "She's a cheerleader who spends her free time freelancing as a vigilante. She was in that Plant to stop us from stealing those canisters of Radium_

_Shego lay back in the bed and tried to remember more. She didn't recognize where she was, but that didn't matter to her. She thought about the fight instead._

_Kim Possible._

_It was an odd name to be sure, unique; but damn did she know how to fight… The girl couldn't have been more than sixteen years old and still she'd been able to do better than hold her ground against Shego, the woman of a thousand fighting disciplines. She'd gone up against more than her fair share of martial arts masters, but nothing had even come close to what she'd faced in that waste disposal plant. That girl had been a tiger…she'd had a lot to learn, that was certain, and her skills had been pretty raw, but the talent was there. Given time and practice, this…Kim Possible could become quite a rival for Shego – maybe even surpass her. Add to that the fact that she'd clearly enjoyed going toe-to-toe with Shego and that was one agent for law enforcement everywhere that would no doubt become a thorn in the sides of villains everywhere._

God, I hope I get to tangle with her again…

_There'd been more to that fight than the kid's skills, of course. That girl had been dynamite on the inside…the mental side. Holy jeez… The scents and flavours that had come off that girl's mind had been…damn…_heavenly_. Shego thought she'd experienced some incredible scent-flavours in her life, but Kim Possible's emotions were nothing short of stellar._

"_What happened?" Shego's voice was quiet – almost silent as she realized she couldn't remember leaving the site of their battle._

_The wave of unease and concern that washed over her from her employer was almost enough to make her gag. _God, I'm glad he's paying me enough to put up with that._ "I'm sorry, Shego." Drakken looked away guiltily, standing from the cushioned, wooden chair on which he'd been seated. "I tried to stop it in time but…your fight, Shego – it – there was…an accident." He motioned to her hands and she looked at them for the first time since waking up, suddenly acutely aware of a slight…heated tingle, as if the mismatched black and green gloves on her hands were heated from the inside._

_Without comment, and without being prompted to do so, Shego began to slide the gloves off, curious at the feel of warm, thin metal on the inner surface but refraining from asking questions. "What happened?" She asked once more before the black leather came away from her tingling hands._

"_Kim Possible kicked you into one of the stacks of waste drums and one of them burst open…"_

_The rest of her employer's hushed reply went unheard as Shego's eyes fell on the carnage that was her bare hands._

_They were covered with long, deep slashes – like they'd been sliced at a hundred times with a razor blade. Most of the cuts were scabbed over now, but a couple of the deeper ones were still bright as blood continued to flow out slowly. The insides of Shego's gloves were probably ruined now, but that wasn't really a priority-one concern right now. It was then that Shego realized something else._

_There was an eerie green glow around her hands, and it gave Shego the most ominous feeling. Something bad was about to be said…_

"…_I was able to inject a healing factor into your DNA before the mutation became fatal, but I'm afraid I wasn't able to reverse the effects…"_

Mutation?_ Shego's gaze travelled up the length of her arms to take in the new pale tint to her skin…a pasty, pale green that was quite a bit lighter than the glow in her hands. But her eyes were inevitably pulled back to the scabbed and lacerated redness of her glowing green hands._

"…_enhanced strength, some improvement in speed, but most of all you seem to have developed the uncanny ability to harness and control Plasma energy. It's a state that exists beyond the traditional three elemental…"_

"_My hands will heal, won't they?" Shego interrupted Drakken's inane and boring explanation. He was probably speaking more to himself than to her anyway._

"_Oh, most definitely," the man standing beside her reassured, "Thanks to the healing factor I introduced, your hands will heal without scarring, as will all but the most serious of wounds in the future. Unfortunately, however, the mutation progressed too fast for me to completely counter. It didn't kill you like it should have, but-."_

"_What are you saying?" Shego burst out impatiently, her ire rising with the man's damned rambling. "Tell me!"_

_Wordlessly, Drakken held out a short steel bar to her, his intention clear._

_Humouring the man with a roll of her night-forest eyes, Shego reached out one hand to grasp the bar, gasping in horrified astonishment when the thick rod grew hot in her hands and began to melt, sagging as Drakken released it quickly before the heat could travel to the portion in his grip. As rivulets of molten steel ran between her fingers and dripped to the floor, uncomfortable in their heat but not damaging or painful in the slightest, Shego felt her horror and fear mounting and the semi-liquid mass slipped from her hand to _slap_ against the floor._

"_No." She breathed the word, staring at her hands with a renewed sense of growing anger at the unfairness of the universe. "No…"_

"_I'm afraid so," Drakken countered softly, sympathetically. "You have come into a tremendous power, Shego – but it has come at a great cost." _Too high, _was Shego's only thought as Drakken nodded his head at the droplets of steel still falling from her closed hand. "Your Plasma has no off-switch; this will happen to anything you touch with your bare hands." _

_The blue man shrugged wearily, his mind radiating a faint sense of guilt. "I'm so sorry, Shego. I've come up with a couple of materials that aren't affected by your Plasma, but beyond that…"_

_It didn't take a genius to see where he was going with this. Personal relationships were to become a little more…complex now that she could melt at a touch. But yet, this didn't give her reason to hate the one responsible for it, did it? No, circumstances had been out of her control – out of Kim Possible's control. The fiery redhead had no way of knowing what would happen – she was no prophet. But still…some part of Shego's mind continued to pull at her. "He, Dr Dee – it…it _was_ an accident," she had to know, "Right?"_

_The answer wasn't very encouraging. "I wish I could say for sure, Shego." Drakken shrugged helplessly, "Really, I do. But all I know for certain is that Kim Possible left without seeing to your injuries. It's not quite the noble attitude one comes to expect from the heroes of the world, is it?"_

_Shego felt horror course through her heart, carving a wound so deep she could lose the world in it. No, it couldn't be true, could it? She couldn't quite reconcile the image of Kim Possible as a heartless, ruthless heroine. The kid had been a pure heart – that much had been so clear. But on the other hand, what reason did Drakken have to lie to her – to keep her from trailing after Kim like a moonstruck teenager? Please, Shego had given up on heroism ever since that huge blow up with Hego, so this blue boy could stand to have a little faith in her._

_It was then that Shego felt a fire burst into being , rising within her heart at the conclusion she'd begun to draw – blazing hotter than the Plasma that now wreathed her hands. It was all a front. Kim Possible was nothing more than a spoiled little schoolgirl tramp who'd decided to take on the bad guys for kicks._

So, Princess,_ Shego thought with narrowing eyes – _you want to take on bad guys? Well, congrats, you've just made the baddest one out there. _She felt her fingernails biting into her palms as her anger grew and swelled, becoming something that was almost alive in its own right – a monstrosity of tremendous power that lived only to bring justice and vengeance for Shego._

Your ass is mine, Kim Possible

I'm going to kill you for this…

**(((end flashback)))**

* * *

"Shego?"

Shego shook herself from her daze and looked around to see Kim standing beside her with concern and worry etched in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Without replying, Shego turned away – refusing to face the woman she had wronged so deeply, so long ago. How could she have let herself get duped so easily, so willingly? How could she have so quickly forgotten the promise she'd sworn over her mother's grave? She felt a single tear make its way down her cheek but made no move to wipe it away. Turned as she was, Kim had no way of knowing how shaken her reawakened memories had left her and it would have been nice if it could stay that way.

Of course, hiding emotions became just a little difficult around a telepath.

A long slender arm slid around Shego's left shoulder from behind but she recoiled from it, ashamed at all the hurt she must have caused this amazing, innocent woman with her piercing emerald eyes and her warm, emotional heart. But, just as Shego escaped Kim's left arm, she felt the right on her other side, and they both met around her body, hemming her in and lightly pinning her arms to her ribs as she became surrounded by this girl in the same way that she was enveloped in the beautiful and inviting flavours of Kim Possible's heart and mind. Shego could sense the unfathomable mixture of emotions rising off the young woman that held her, but what she could sense most of all, what had stilled her thoughts and allowed her to be captured in this embrace was the one gift she knew she didn't deserve – _Love_.

It was a selfless, undemanding, unquestioning love, for which Kim asked nothing more than that Shego accept it as it was given.

"No," Shego continued to struggle against Kim's hold weakly. "Don't touch me," _I don't deserve you – anyone else would be better for you._ Despite the enormous pain it caused her to create that thought, Shego knew it was just as true as an arrow shot from the bow of Robin Hood.

"Maybe so," came the younger woman's whispered reply, "but I love _you_, Shego. I want _you_ – not anyone else."

Shego nodded silently, knowing that would be the answer from her all-forgiving Princess. She'd tasted the love this girl had for her, inhaled its fragrance, and could think of nothing that would taste or smell more heavenly. But still, how could Kim be so damn forgiving? How could she so easily forget that Shego had hated her for so long without reason?

"It wasn't your fault, Shego." Kim's hold around her shoulders tightened before loosening completely as she pulled back to take a quick glance around the lab with its bloodstained sheets and dust-kissed counters. "I think we've seen enough here – let's go."

"No," Shego shook her head as Kim's discomfort filled the air with a bitter aftertaste. "Not yet."

Kim sighed, "Alright – we'll search a little more." She turned her attention to the drawers in the counter closest to the bed. "But remember Shego – I'm here if you need me."

Shego nodded without replying, and they both set to work methodically searching the lab.

It was a few minutes later that Shego heard it – a quiet rattle of metal parts. At first, she thought nothing of it, but when a jolt of fear and determination floated through her senses, Shego couldn't help but turn around and look.

Kim had set the box of vials on the bed, opening it to reveal all three glass capsules to the tense silence of the room. In one hand, she held one of the green vials, absently turning it over in her hands as she stared at the object in her other hand:

_And over._

It was a shiny, silvery injector gun, meant for administering vaccinations and other such fluids straight into a person's circulatory system.

_And over._

Kim looked from one to the other – the vial to the injector. The fear in her mind was being beaten back as her determination grew by leaps and bounds.

_And over…_

Without warning, Kim popped the vial into the injector and brought the device to her own wrist, her intent all too clear.

_NO!_ Before she could pull the trigger on the dangerous chemical, Shego had already lunged forward and grabbed the tool in her bare hand, tearing it from the redhead's grip even as the metal of the injector began to smoke and grow white-hot in her hands. "Don't even think about it."

Kim looked up – startled, "Shego…?" She hesitated, thinking her next words through carefully. "It's not fair," she pleaded finally, knowing that Shego would never feel what she felt – the odds of actually figuring out the cure to Drakken's absurdly complex chemical were unfathomable. "It's not fair that you can't touch anything." The injector in Shego's hand was quickly melting and trailing harmlessly down her hand to drip onto the bed sheets below. "If all I have to do is give up my own hands just so you can feel me, don't you think I'd gladly pay that price?"

Shego shook her head stubbornly, "Not at this price, Kim – trust me, it's way too much." She reached up with her green-gloved hand and plucked the vial from the deformed injector, placing it back in its case. "We'll find another way," she shut the case with a sharp _snap_. "I know we will."

Kim chuckled lightly at that, her amusement a sudden and refreshing change from the overpowering bitterness of her fear and sorrow. "And since when were _you_ an optimist?"

Shego smirked thinly. "I don't know what you're talking about." She turned away, "Let's get out of here, Kim – you were right; we've seen enough."

Kim motioned for Shego to lead the way, "Now you know – don't ever doubt a female Possible."

The villainess couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped her, "I'll try to remember that one."

"Good," Kim followed her out of the room and into the dark, little-used hallway to the elevator. "I would have done it, you know," she spoke suddenly in a quiet voice.

Shego glanced over at her partner, "I know." _It means so much for me to know that, but I would never ask you to do that for me…I could never let that happen to you…_

It was on the way up to the surface that Shego remembered something. "Yesterday, when we were talking to Queen GJ," she smirked at the nickname. "What were you thinking about? We were talking about ways to take her company down." _You've got something, Princess_, she though;_ and it's just the thing to take my mind off of this mess._ She grinned as she remembered the playful mischief in Kim's mind when they'd been having that conversation at Chez Cora's. "Now – spill."

Kim stared at her partner as they stepped off the elevator into Drakken's room. "What are you – oh!" She burst out laughing, her sudden burst of pleasurable playfulness and glee washing through Shego's senses like a cleansing vapour. "It's stupid, really," she calmed down a little, "it's just, we were talking about," She stepped out into the hallway. "We were talking about how to make GJ waste time and money, and I suddenly thought of something we could do." She broke off in a small fit of uncontrollable giggles. "What if," she paused, turning an evil smile on her partner, "What if we kidnapped a couple world leaders or celebrities and just dumped them of in the middle of nowhere for a week or so? We could either come back and rescue them, or simply give their location to GJ sometime later." She raised one eyebrow at Shego, "What do you think?"

Shego stared dumbfounded at the grinning redhead before slowly shaking her head in disbelief. "I think you need to lay off the coffee, Kimmie." She returned Kim's smile suddenly. "I like the idea, but you're clearly too excited about it."

Kim snorted and crossed her arms – offended. "Can I help it if I'm brilliant?"

Shego grinned at her as they came up to her green and black painted door – the only intact door in the lair, apparently. "No, I guess not."

* * *

"So, how'd you like the bike?"

Kim looked up from her quick inspection of Shego's sleek machine, and the brief expression of pain that flashed behind her eyes was all too clear to the villainess.

Shego reached up to lightly touch the layered make-up on her cheek. _Yeah, I wish I didn't have to hide, too – but this is the life I live…_

"It was all right," Kim replied finally, shrugging casually. "It was missing a little something, though."

"Oh yeah," Shego turned to face her as she felt the sudden appearance of no small amount of mischief in Kim's mind, "And what might that be?" She couldn't help but smirk at the redhead bent over her bike.

Kim stood up without replying and simply turned to look at the taller woman. After returning her smirk with a wider grin, she snatched up the glossy black helmet from where she'd set it on the ground after running off to deliver Drakken to the hospital. Then, she tossed it to Shego, and let loose the full power of her radiant smile, "someone else behind the handlebars." She laughed as her partner was so visibly shaken by the sudden rush of mirth and excitement her mind released. "I mean, don't get me wrong – it's a beautiful machine and I loved driving it, but what I love more is holding on while you drive it." Kim's eyes sparkled. "I'd prefer to hold onto _you_ while you drive, but you know…beggars can't be choosers."

Shego slid her bag off her shoulders. "Well, you don't have to beg because your wish is my command, _Princess_." She held the black leather bag out and wasn't at all surprised at the speed with which it was taken and slung over Kim's back, "my – you're eager aren't you?"

Kim shrugged, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I just want to get away from here; we've had enough stress for a lifetime."

Shego smiled, "Day off? I could do that." She pulled her helmet on and flipped the faceplate up so she could still talk. "I would like nothing better than to take a day or two to get away from it all."

"Alright then," Kim grabbed her helmet and slid it on. 'We could both use some downtime,' her voice suddenly echoed inaudibly inside Shego's head, somehow sounding more like her voice than her actual voice…like the words were coming from a source closer to her heart than her vocal chords were able to tap. 'What do you say we head back to my place? We could have that discussion about misusing my telepathy.'

At the mention of Kim's…unique abilities, Shego felt a strange warmth rising in her chest, heating her very soul it seemed. It was actually kind of…comforting – knowing that Kim was so close to her that they could communicate on so intimate a level. Of course, rationally, it didn't make any sense at all, but Shego liked being able to feel Kim's touch on her mind when they talked like this; it made her feel safe – something that she was unaccustomed to having to search for outside of her own power.

'To be honest,' she responded to Kim's telepathy in kind, wondering off-hand how she was able to do this at all if she was only an empath. _Must be something to do with me being so close to a telepath right now…like putting a paperclip to a magnet?_ 'I don't really mind this. You're right about this giving us an edge when we need to talk during a mission. The truth is you only surprised me when you started talking to me like this; I was never really angry at you. I know you'd never snoop around without my permission.'

'Thank you,' Kim replied sincerely. 'So, how about it – my place?'

'Lovely idea,' Shego threw a leg over her bright green beauty, starting up the one-of-a-kind engine and snapping her faceplate shut just as a pair of slender arms wrapped around her waist from behind. The bike sank just a little as Kim mounted up. 'You want a straight course or the scenic route?'

Kim's arms tightened a little and a helmeted head came to rest on Shego's shoulder. 'Whichever helps you to heal from the past day.' A little thrill of pleasure brushed across Shego's mind. 'And I wouldn't mind holding onto you as long as I can.'

"Scenic it is," Shego spoke mostly to herself as she gunned the _Ghost's_ compact, powerful engine. The tires spun for half-a-second before catching, and then they took off up the street – away from the gaping doorway to the Montreal Lair.

'So,' Kim's mental voice floated through Shego's thoughts a few minutes later. 'Tell me about yourself.'

Shego smiled behind her faceplate. _What do you find so fascinating about me?_ 'What do you want to know?'

'Everything,' Kim's hold relaxed as she focused only half of her attention on keeping her balance on Shego's bike. She didn't really need that much attention to stay on – all she had to do was follow Shego's movements as she navigated a collection of twisting, forest roads. 'But,' she clarified, 'you could start with something simple – like your childhood – tell me about your mother. What was she like?'

Shego closed her eyes for a moment. _Mom…_ Again, Shego felt a flush of shame colouring her cheeks as she remembered what she'd allowed herself to do for the three years she'd worked for Dr Drakken. She had been consumed by a hatred that would have engulfed Kim whole if she'd ever managed to capture the spry little firebrand.

'There's not much to tell,' Shego thought about her mother – her hair, her smile, her confident, graceful walk – as if the world revolved around her every whim –, her bright, entrancing green eyes…

'She sounds like a beautiful woman.' Kim remarked.

Shego was startled by the intrusion into her mind, but not angered or annoyed in the least. 'Yeah,' she thought, back to the times she'd shared with her preferred parent. They'd been happy times – some of the happiest of her life –, but there had been far too few of them for Shego's liking. 'Yeah, she was.'

'Oh.' Kim's reply pretty much summed up the implication in Shego's last statement. 'I'm so sorry…tell me what happened?' The girl's hesitation made it clear that she was unsure how welcome her question would be.

Shego knew her partner would never dream of holding it against her if she declined to answer. They were far beyond the point of testing each other's heart and soul, but Shego knew this was still a test for herself – of her trust. Could Shego bring herself to trust someone with the many secrets about herself? Curving around a gentle bend in the road, Shego took in a single breath of the patient, selfless love in her companion's mind and came to her decision.

In the end, that was all it would ever take for her mind to be made up.

'She worked at a bank in Go City and a couple idiot bank robbers decided to drop by one day.' She swallowed back the tears more easily than she should have been able. 'Mom got caught between the cops and the robbers.'

Shego felt a burst of sorrow and pain from the younger woman seated behind her, but no pity.

There had never been any pity from her Princess.

'How did your family take it?'

Shego sighed as the memories grew darker. 'Not too well; Dad started drinking and fell into a depression, and Hego flew off the handle and got the crazy idea that we should become heroes in order to prevent that kind of thing from happening to other families like it had to us.'

'That's noble of him.' Kim pointed out matter-of-factly, 'I think he went a little overboard on it, though.'

Shego smirked, 'You're right – on both counts – only don't tell anyone that I said that.'

'Cross my heart,' Kim replied honestly 'What about you? What did you do to cope with the loss?'

'I'd like to think I handled it better,' Shego paused uncertainly. 'She-,' was she really ready to reveal more about her life? They were getting very close to the very foundations of Shego's life – the things that had done more to shape her than anything else in her Life; was she ready to give this to Kim – this knowledge of exactly how Shego had been born from the ashes of Sara Jenkins' soft and broken heart – to finally give someone that one link back to the girl she had been before? 'Mom and I weren't always on the best of terms. We had some really big arguments…'

'Well, who doesn't? That sounds like the typical mother-daughter relationship to me.' Kim shifted her grip a little on her partner's waist. 'But I'm guessing there's more to it than that.'

'You want me to tell the story or not?' Shego laughed at the embarrassment that flowed over her from Kim's mind. 'That's my girl – where was I?' Shego eased up off the gas as she merged onto a crowded highway, 'Son of a…what time is it?'

'Around eight,' Kim's head nuzzled a little closer to Shego's shoulder – as much as the black helmet would allow at least. 'What, did you forget about morning traffic into the city?'

'You just had to live on the island, didn't you?' Shego's amusement probably took a great deal of bite out of her words. She slowed down to join the creeping lines of cars and trucks. She probably could have blasted the engine to full speed and weaved through the lines of vehicles, but she didn't. Much as she and Kim might have enjoyed the ride, Shego's persona couldn't really afford to attract that kind of attention. 'But Mom and I, we'd never really seen eye-to-eye on one thing,' besides, the traffic would give Kim a chance to get to know her partner a little better. 'She was a Pacifist,' Shego smiled thinly, 'and I'll bet you can imagine how often that was discussed around the dinner table.' She sighed again, 'Dad loved her, I know that, but he called her a coward so often it was sometimes impossible to see it. I talked with her so many times about it, trying to understand how she could believe it so strongly when the whole world seemed set against her and her convictions.'

'She sounds stubborn – like you.' Kim joked, her mind's peaceful, easy affection lightly washing over Shego's senses.

Shego smiled at the better memories that floated up in her head. 'Stubbornness is never changing even when you know you're wrong, Kimmie.' She took a moment to change lanes, 'What Mom had was a confidence that I wanted for myself – an undeniable…power over the world around her. She might have been a Pacifist, but weak she was not.'

'Pacifism doesn't make you weak, Shego.' Kim admonished lightly.

'Oh, I understand that all too well. Mom was the strongest person I have ever known – even you, Pumpkin.' Shego grinned as she tossed that one behind her. 'But, honestly, while the rest of my family belittled and ridiculed her for her beliefs, I couldn't help but admire and respect her for standing up against all that crap.' She slipped her bike down to a lower gear as the traffic built up a little more. '_That _was the kind of confidence I wanted.'

Kim's arms tightened around her, 'I think you got it in the end.'

Shego grimaced, 'Yeah, well – I think I would rather have had her alive and well than have inherited her personality, thank you very much.'

The arms around her waist didn't loosen like they normally would have. 'I know, Shego.'

'You know what the funny thing is?' Shego groaned with relief as their exit came up. 'I never really understood what true Pacifism was or why Mom was so willing to put up with all the shit my family gave her – not until she died.' She shook her head at the horrible example of irony. 'So, while my idiot brothers took up Heroism to cope with it, I lived my own life without regrets and took up Mom's cause – as best as I could.'

A rush of understanding blossomed from Kim's mind. 'That's why you've never killed.'

'That and the fact that the penalties for theft – even theft on a global scale – are much less severe than for murder. You can do a Hell of a lot more before getting into really serious trouble and you get more of a name for yourself when you're a thief without a body count.'

'Oh, I'll bet.'

* * *

As Shego pulled into the parking lot at Kim's apartment building, Kim only had one question left about her partner's childhood – for now. She waited until Shego had brought her bike to a halt in the spot beside her bright green Honda before pulling her helmet off.

"You never did tell me what that comet actually gave you." After so much time spent in silence the sound of her own voice in her ears seemed somehow…strange. "Was it just the fighting ability?"

"Yeah," Shego pulled her helmet off and ran one hand through her short, crimson-dyed hair. "That's about all it was – thought I'd gotten the good end of the deal when I woke up and I wasn't bright pink or neon orange or something." She sighed and looked at her reflection in the passenger window of Kim's car beside her bike. "I didn't have to take half-an-hour making myself look normal if I wanted to blend into a crowd. I _was_ normal. But, I guess I couldn't outrun my fate – I turned green some other way." Her fist clenched at the unfairness of it all…

"For what it's worth," Kim used her key to open the back door into the building, "I stopped seeing your skin colour as strange a long time ago. It's just, you know – you." She held the door open for her partner, studying her normal-looking complexion. "If you weren't an international fugitive, I'd try to convince you to ditch the makeup. It's – strange – to see you so normal…"

Shego snorted, "I'm sure I should feel insulted that I look more normal when I have green skin." She followed Kim to the stairs, a bright smirk coming to her face. "Never the easy way with you, is it?"

Already up the first flight, Kim halted and turned to glance back over her shoulder at her partner. "I'm trying to seduce you, aren't I?" She smiled cheekily as she turned to take off up the stairs at a dead run, leaving Shego standing at the bottom with a stunned look on her face.

_Excuse me?_ "Why you little-," the pale-skinned thief stormed up the stairs, a wide grin spoiling her mock-anger. _You seduce me? As if, Princess…_

* * *

**Author's note: **Well, there you have it at last…Chapter 17. For those of you counting, I didn't mis-count my chapters. I've just decided to count that interlude earlier as a chapter to limit my own confusion. In other words, whatever chapter ffnet tells you it is, that's the chapter I'll call it by. So, hope you enjoyed it, and any and all thoughts are welcome, positive or negative.

See you next chapter…


	18. Recovery

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Eighteenth – Recovery

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. Okay, seriously, now. If you've made it this far in the story, **YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS! **Stop reading if a same-sex pairing offends you

**Rating:** PG-15. Some language.

**Spoilers:** None…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation.

Onto the insanity!

* * *

**_Chapter XVIII_**

The peaceful calm of the empty apartment was broken by a sudden click as the lock was turned back and the heavy door swung open.

"And here we are," Shego spoke quietly, following her partner in without a second thought, "Home."

The redhead stopped, halfway through sliding Shego's bag off her back. "Home?" She turned a questioning eye on Shego, searching.

Shego hesitated before replying, aware that she'd just taken a very significant step – maybe an unwelcome one. "Yeah," she looked away nervously, "With your permission, of course – it's _your_ home first after all." She glanced around at the collection of furniture, the dark red walls, the average-sized flat screen TV, the nondescript beige carpeting… "It's a lot more convenient than Hudson, cheaper than the Holiday Inn, and you've got furniture." She finally turned back to face Kim, an oddly hopeful look in her eyes, "So – what do you say? Care for a roommate?"

Kim studied the older woman for a moment or so, taking in the nervous twitch in her hands, the quiet, hopeful light in the dark forest eyes, the furrowed brow of worry…and considered Shego's words carefully.

A woman of infinite confidence and supreme power, Shego was probably unfamiliar with asking for things, being more likely to take and wrench from the grasps of others those things that she dearly desired. But here she was, remembering herself with the speed of someone who knew that their life was changing – making an effort to treat at least _this_ _one_ person as something other than just a mark with something she wanted. It was a clear blow to her pride to ask this of Kim, but the younger woman saw no uncertainty in those eyes, no regret in that intense stare.

Reaching out, Kim wrapped one arm around Shego's waist, pulling her in tightly to her side. "My home," she said clearly and decisively, "_Our_ home." She squeezed her partner's waist gently. "Come on – you didn't get the tour the last time you were here, so let me show you around." She pulled away, her arm sliding from her partner's hip to take her by the hand, tangling their fingers together as she led her into the apartment. She slipped her shoes off and finally let the black leather backpack slide from her shoulder to the floor with a soft _thump_.

"Actually," Shego instead pulled Kim to a stop, "I think I'd rather just take a day to absorb everything that's happened to us." She glanced around the main room once more. "Has it really only been a day since I broke into this place?"

Kim sighed wearily, a faint smile kissing her lips, "Yeah. Feels like years, doesn't it?"

"A lifetime or four," Shego agreed. "I'd think we'd need a couple weeks and some therapy, but we don't really have that option do we?"

Kim considered her newfound status as a criminal – soon to be international. "I guess not," she separated herself from the older woman and stepped behind the counter and into the kitchen. "Go ahead and relax – you want something to drink?"

"I think I'd like to have something strong and cold, but I get the feeling you're not a terribly big drinker." Shego smiled at Kim's quick nod. "I'll have some tea then – something Chinese if you've got it, please."

"Sounds good," Kim dug around in her cupboards, producing a teapot and some mugs. As she set the kettle on, she found herself speaking without knowing what she was going to say. "There's only one bed though, unless you want the couch."

Shego sat herself down on the red-covered couch, making a small, thoughtful noise. "Well, let me see – sleep alone in a big, dark room on a cold, empty couch or snuggle up beside the one and only Kim Possible? I don't think I'll have a problem." She turned a wild smirk on her partner.

Kim's shy blush and her embarrassed little smile could have brightened the dark side of the moon. "So," she turned back to her tea preparations, piling up a plate of toast for good measure, remembering that neither of them had eaten since lunch the previous day and now her it was – she glanced over to one side – nine in the morning…Kim knew she could go another day or so without feeling it thanks to her unique body type, but she didn't know about Shego. "Do you have any questions about your new home?" She bent down to pull a frying pan from another cupboard, deciding to go all out.

The intense burst of curiosity batted gently at Kim's shield, calling her attention where the constant background hum had not. "No, not really – not right now," Shego replied quietly, not looking at her hostess.

Kim looked up from the warming pan on the stove, "What?" Shego's hesitation was surprising, if not downright astounding.

Shego looked up from her place across the room, "what, what?"

Kim heard the kettle click but made no move to respond. "You have a question." She dropped the pretence of hiding that she knew, even if she didn't know any details. "You want to figure something out."

Shego snorted, "No I don't," tiny, imperceptible droplets of guilt and shame drifted over to Kim from her partner's side of the room.

Kim stubbornly ignored the kettle, planting her hands on her hips defiantly, "Don't argue with me, Shego. You can't lie to me – I'm a telepath."

Shego carelessly waved the younger woman's concerns aside, "and I'm an empath – what's your point?" She saw Kim's unwavering glare and met it with her characteristic indifference for a tense few seconds before caving, "Fine. That box," she swallowed, clearly nervous about having been caught snooping around Kim's home. "That white box in your closet – what's inside?"

Kim turned from impatient to confused in the blink of an eye – which then turned into a few more. "White box…?" She glanced quickly down the hall to the bedroom, understanding blossoming within her like a flower. "Oh – go ahead and bring it in here." She turned her attention at last to the silent, ever-patient kettle, dropping the leaves into a teapot before pouring the water in.

"No, it's okay," Shego made no move to get up from the couch. "I don't need to see it – you can just tell me about it." She shifted uneasily in her seat. "I came back in after you left to meet Nerdlinger. I was trying to see if I could figure out how much you were clued in to your own feelings for me, and I just saw the box sitting on the shelf. I felt your emotions coming off it and got a little curious." Shego paused before adding a last word in a very quiet voice. "Sorry…"

Kim smiled as she broke two eggs over the pan, "Don't be," she replied with a low, gentle chuckle, "It's all yours anyway."

Shego sat up, "What?"

It was Kim's turn to be embarrassed. "Remember the first time Drakken chipped us?" Shego groaned and her head fell back below the back of the couch, disappearing from view. "Yeah," Kim muttered, "Of course you remember. That was a dumb question," she replied in a dry voice. "Well, after you ran Drakken off, the boys poked around a little while I went back to your room to change out of your clothes." She flipped the eggs in the pan. "Well, while I was in there, I noticed some of your stuff sitting on the bed and I somehow got this feeling." Her eyes took on a far-off look as she thought back to that day. "I knew you wouldn't want anyone to see those things so I packed them up and we left before GJ came in to clean up after us." Kim served the eggs up onto a plate and broke two more. "Ever since then, every time we've run you out of another hideout, I've tried to quickly search through your rooms to take anything personal and save it from the scrutiny of Global Justice."

Shego laughed, "Yeah, as if you were a better choice than GJ to be snooping through my unmentionables."

Kim let out a startled squeak before immediately turning defensive, panicking instantly. "I swear, I only looked a few times – just every time I added something new, and maybe a few times since I came to Montreal, but I know GJ would have set a dozen agents to dissect your stuff, and -."

"Whoa," Shego interrupted, her head rising up from the cushions. "Slow down there, Kimmie – I'm not angry."

Kim, in the middle of flipping the eggs in the pan, promptly broke the yolks at Shego's words. "Y-you're not."

"Surprised?" Shego raised one thin eyebrow, standing from the couch and coming over to lean on the other side of the counter from the kitchen – her feet still resting on the carpet of the main room. "Back when we thought we knew each other, maybe I would have been royally pissed at you – but now? Not so much," She smirked confidently and ran a hand through her short red hair. "I think you're going to have to do a lot worse to get on my bad side, Princess. I'm afraid you're stuck with me for good, warts and all."

Kim blew out a relieved sigh, allowing a tiny smirk to show through her expression, just playing at the edges of her lips like a hesitating child. "You don't have any warts, Shego." She turned back to the stove, frowning unhappily at her broken yolks. "Your box is still sitting on the shelf," she said finally after long moments of silence when Shego hadn't moved or said a word – simply stood leaning on the counter and looking at her as though there was nothing she could be more interested in than her partner's slowly reddening face.

"And it can stay there," Shego waved one hand dismissively. "I can wait."

"Get it for me, then?" Kim asked quietly, unsure how welcome it was. "I've seen some things in there that I'd like to know more about."

Shego grinned without moving. "So, you want to dissect my stuff? Why does that sound so familiar?"

Kim served the broken eggs up onto another plate. "_They_ wouldn't ask first, Shego; say no and I will forget all about it."

"No, that's all right." Shego pushed off the counter and started down the hall, "I'm actually curious about what you managed to save from those hounds." She disappeared into Kim's bedroom while the shorter redhead stood at the stove, buttering up one toast and spreading jam across the other three.

Shego emerged a few seconds later holding a flat, white clothing box. "Okay," she took in the sight of Kim at the counter and a wicked smile curved her thin, black-painted lips. "Do I need to worry about my health if I try to eat this?"

Kim grabbed a nearby dishtowel and threw it at Shego with a mild growl. "I'll have you know that my cooking's improved since that cookie incident of yours." Her anger was spoiled by the wide grin that was quickly spreading across her features. "Now, come on – open it up." She brought two plates of food around the counter to the unfinished dining table. "I know you'll be glad to have some of this stuff back." She returned to the kitchen for the teapot and mugs.

Shego set the box down on the table and just stared at it. "I can't believe you did this for someone who hated you. What were you thinking?" She turned her piercing stare on Kim as she took a place beside her at the small table, tea in hand.

Kim lifted up one of her pieces of toast but just stared over it at her partner. "I'm not quite sure, really." She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "I guess I was thinking that you were a person just like me, regardless of your…dislike of me. I put myself in your position sometimes," she stared at the now half-eaten toast. _I've really got to get bigger loaves…_ "…Chased out of my home time after time so uncaring Global Justice agents could search through all my stuff. I wasn't crazy enough to think that you'd rather have me rifling through your private things, but I knew I'd at least have the restraint that others might not have had."

"That's true." Shego used the edge of her fork to cut a piece off her egg and raised it to her mouth. "It's too bad about your eggs, though," She smirked, nodding her chin to Kim's plate before digging into her food with earnest.

Kim narrowed her eyes, "I blame you." She smiled gently, chomping into her toast.

"That so?" Using her free hand, Shego pulled the box a little closer to her and started lifting the lid off. "And what did you manage to save from GJ's dogs?"

"Probably not as much as you think?" Kim continued eating, "You might remember that a good number of Drakken's lairs ended up blowing up, and I figured your stuff would have been gone with the destruction." She looked over at Shego. "It's mostly pictures and some personal-looking knickknacks…and a diary – I didn't read it," Kim added hastily. "I could have broken the lock, but I figured it was there for a reason and – Shego?"

The lid of the box fell to the table with a sharp _clap_.

Shego stared transfixed into the now-open box, her food all but forgotten. "My God…" She reached out slowly, hesitantly – as if she thought the contents would vanish as part of some cruel joke. "I can't believe you have this." She wrapped the fingers of her green gloved hand around a heavy, red leather-bound book and lifted it from the box with a gentleness one would sooner expect from a mother bird handling her eggs than from a fiery-tempered woman with Plasma-wreathed hands. Kim simply watched in stunned silence as Shego's black-gloved hand came up to brush across the front cover of the book, trailing across the matte finished leather and the wide, black leather strap that held it closed with an unimpressive metal buckle and lock.

Shego stared at the closed and locked book, a tiny, fond smile coming to her face as if she were laying eyes on an old, long-lost friend. "Kimmie…do you have any idea what this is – what you've been keeping in your closet all these years?" She continued to cradle the book in her hands and turned to stare at Kim in awestruck wonder. "I can't believe you kept this," she whispered.

Kim felt curiosity gnawing at her, but she could also feel that the diary was something incredibly personal to Shego and if the pale-skinned villainess wanted to share it – so be it. Kim wasn't going to take the answers she wanted. "You don't have to tell me, Shego."

She might as well have been speaking to the tea in her cup.

"This is the first diary I ever had," Shego breathed, laying the thick book down on the table. "It's the last one I ever had, too…" She seemed unable to take her eyes of this unexpected treasure that Kim had unwittingly been safeguarding for almost five years. "After I lost it, I just didn't see any point in getting another one."

Kim reached out with one hand to squeeze Shego's shoulder gently and was about to pull away when Shego's hand covered hers, returning the gesture. She looked over to see her partner staring at her with an intense look in her eyes. "What?"

There was something else in those eyes that surprised Kim – tears, "Thank you." Shego carefully set the book down on the table and turned back to the open box. She brushed aside a pair of her own gloves, raising an eyebrow at Kim as she did so.

"They were comfortable," Kim confessed bashfully.

Nodding, she shuffled through a fair-sized pile of photographs and some random papers, making small noises of amazement every so often as Kim looked on silently – waiting patiently for her partner to get over her surprise and awe. "This is incredible." Her fingers brushed against a tiny plush keychain that looked like some demented combination of a lizard and a duck and she groaned quietly, lifting it up for Kim to see. "Of all the things you wanted to save from Global Justice, why the Hell did you pick _this_?"

Blushing, Kim looked down at her plate, smiling faintly, "It was cute. I'd never seen a Duckuana before. Besides," she straightened, "Did you really want GJ to know you had a Cuddle Buddy?"

Shego smirked, "Good girl." She grimaced, "Oh God, I can just picture the looks on their faces if they ever found out." She glared at her partner hotly. "I never owned one of those…things, you hear me?"

Kim grinned. "Promise. No one will ever hear about it. Just me and Pandaroo…" Her smile softened as she thought about the one companion she'd had all these years away from home, but then she turned devilish as she thought of the…other one, "us and Flamingoat."

Shego stiffened. "What the…you have it? Where?" She started to get up, but then came back to herself. "You know what, forget it. You can keep it."

"Don't worry, Shego." Kim grinned wildly, "He's safe. By the way," she speared another piece of egg. "Where on earth did you manage to get one, anyway? They only made 10."

"First thing I ever stole for myself after becoming a thief," Shego let a tiny smile slither across her face. "You could call it a trophy of sorts." Without another word, she shoved a bite of toast into her mouth to shut herself up.

Kim grinned as she continued eating. "I knew you'd be glad to have this stuff back."

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence. Shego was almost completely engrossed in rediscovering these once-lost fragments of her past while Kim was content to just watch the emotions play across her companion's face. Kim was amazed at how very young her villainess looked, how much more relaxed her pale, striking features were as she quietly searched through the full box.

Then, with an abruptness that startled Kim, Shego replaced the diary and keychain inside and pushed the box away to the middle of the table. "I'll go through it more later. Right now," she turned back to her food, "I don't think it would be nice to let this food go to waste, now would it?"

"Certainly not," Kim agreed, "Besides, today is supposed to be our day to relax and forget about the world outside these two walls." Kim started cleaning up her eggs. "You really feel like going through that box today?"

Shego considered it, chewing thoughtfully on her meal. "To be honest, I do – but I don't feel like sharing – not today."

"Fair enough." Kim stood up with her empty plate and moved to place it in the sink before returning to the table for her tea and going to sit down on the long couch, switching her stereo on as she passed it. Before any music could start, she snatched up the remote and set the volume down low, pleased to hear the soft melody of her favourite band start up. It was definitely a relaxing tune and Kim laid her head back on the cushions, letting the music wash over her. She was content to leave Shego to her reminiscing; she'd share when she was ready.

A few songs and some time later, Kim heard Shego stand up and move to pile her plate with Kim's in the sink. Then, a weight settled down on the couch beside Kim and she felt a warm body press in against her side. Without really meaning to, Kim's arm shifted to wrap around Shego's shoulder and pull her in a little closer to her side, holding the villainess comfortingly.

Unable to stop herself, Kim felt her mind reach out to her partners, testing the waters no deeper than to feel her outer emotions. Sadness, guilt, frustration, weariness…Shego was tired – tired of the garbage hand that life had dealt her through a rogue comet, a bumbling mad scientist, and a dozen other random acts of unfortunate effects.

_What a pair of lives we lead, eh Shego?_

Kim considered her own life, all the highs and lows she'd been through and the people she'd met over the years. She'd had some bad times, but nothing like what Shego had been through. Kim had been fortunate enough to be born into a family that didn't push her in a direction she didn't want to go, who loved and supported her no matter what decisions she made. She still wasn't exactly sure how they would take her more recent decisions or if they would accept who she was with and the growing amount of space in her life that was being occupied by her new partner, but it couldn't be all bad, could it?

"That's nice," Shego mumbled suddenly from her place on Kim's right.

"Huh?" Kim looked down at her partner to meet a pair of midnight dark, forest green eyes. She had been so lost in thought she almost hadn't heard Shego's comment. "What did you say?"

Shego smiled faintly up at her. "You have a nice singing voice." Her eyebrow rose at Kim's confused expression, "You were singing…for the past few minutes."

"Was I?" Kim listened to the song that was playing and realized that she had in fact been singing along without knowing it. "Oh, I guess I was just lost in my thoughts." She listened to the mournful, flowing melody of the song as it came to a close.

"Seriously," Shego sat up straighter but maintained her closeness to her partner. "That was a really good song – what was it?"

Kim felt her lips curve into a wistful smile. "What – 'Lucky me'? I love this song." Her head fell back against the couch as her eyes closed lightly. "I first heard it a few months after I started University here." She thought back to that time, "I was going through a bit of a rough time because I was starting to miss home and my family, but I wouldn't let myself leave my new home. I was finally doing something for _me_, you know? I didn't want to lose that," Shego's slow nod was all she needed.

Kim restarted the song, "one of my classmates at the time, Marie, figured I was homesick and needed a friend, so she just started talking to me out of the blue. It didn't take too long for us to get close enough to really call each other friends. Then, she invited me to a Great Big Sea concert with her so I went along. I'm really glad I did too."

"Why's that?" Shego's voice was low.

Kim thought back to the concert when things had started looking up in her life away from Home. "After the concert, this started to become home to me." She stared up at the ceiling. "They played this song and it really hit me – it's all about finding the good in all things. It's about seeing the world through hopeful eyes even when things are at their darkest, about knowing that tomorrow's going to be a better day if you can get up and suffer the world's pain and storms." She sighed, "I mean, when tragedy hits you, people try to be so supportive and it's great that they try, but they always come up with those stupid little one liners, you know?"

Shego nodded, "things like, 'things can only get better'?"

Kim smiled thinly, "'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'"

"'God has a plan for everyone…'" Shego chuckled sadly, "I almost tore the priest apart when he said that to me at Mom's funeral."

Kim's smile faded. "'Tomorrow's a new day'?"

Shego made a thoughtful sound. "Okay – that one's true."

Kim nodded, "I actually think they're all true, but none of them are things you want to hear in the moment." She paused, I mean, God bless them for trying, but friends and family need to learn that when you've been dealt a terrible hand you don't want to think about what's going to happen next. Things like that aren't really comforting at all."

Shego's only reply was to nod slowly as they both listened to the soft music as it played through to the end of that song. "You're right," she said quietly a few minutes later, "It's not much of a comfort."

Kim glanced down, "I'm sorry…"

"But it is _some_ comfort – especially coming from you." Shego's body relaxed into Kim's and she wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist. "And it's very sweet of you to share this part of your life with me." She stretched up and placed a quick kiss on Kim's cheek before pulling back to lay her head on her heroine's shoulder. "Thank you, Kim."

Kim looked down at the top of Shego's head, smiling gently. "You're welcome, Shego."

* * *

**Lucky Me: **by Great Big Sea

He was born a sailor's son,

Nothing came easy or Free.

He suffered the squalls all the rises and falls,

And Everything else in between.

He said "Storms always fade after they've had their way,

They're never as bad as they seem."

As long as the River still runs to the Sea,

Hey lucky you, lucky me,

Hey lucky you, lucky me.

Who would have thought for a moment,

She'd have to grow up so fast.

The school beauty queen with a child at 16,

She swore that her fortunes had passed.

But blessings can hide in the strangest disguise,

And I know she would agree.

As long as the River still runs to the Sea,

Hey lucky you, lucky me,

Hey lucky you, lucky me.

Hey look at me in the spotlight,

My ripped jeans and Rock 'N Roll hair.

Feeling so cool but I'd be such a Fool,

Singing to no one out there.

So hey take a bow, every band needs a crowd,

And I've got a song we can sing.

As long as the River still runs to the Sea,

Hey lucky you, lucky me,

Hey lucky you, lucky me,

Hey lucky you, lucky me…

* * *

Thank you to Great Big Sea for coming up with such a wonderful song. And I hope I haven't ruined the fun by throwing the lyrics in. **Disclaimer:** "Lucky Me" belongs to Great Big Sea.

**Author's note: **Well, there you have it at last…Chapter 18. We'll be winding this story down in a few chapters, and then it'll be time for me to focus on the massive project that has to happen before the sequel to this. But be patient…I'll get it done.

See you next chapter…


	19. Welcome to Our Lives

**Title: **Four Years Later – Chapter the Nineteenth – Welcome to Our Lives

**Pairing:** Kim/Shego. Okay, seriously, now. If you've made it this far in the story, **YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS! **Stop reading if a same-sex pairing offends you

**Rating:** PG-15. Some language.

**Spoilers:** None…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and all her friends, enemies, acquaintances, and gadgets belong to the Walt Disney Corporation

* * *

Well, here's to an astonishing year-and-a-half readers. Thank you so much for your encouragement and your patience. It's been a blast, and I hope the eventual sequel will be just as enjoyable to you all.

And now… Onto the Insanity!

* * *

**_Chapter XIX_**

For the first time in recent memory, Kim found herself waking up with the strangest feeling of contentment. As she stirred, she found herself wrapped in the warm, leather-bound arms of her long-time nemesis. Right at that moment, as she blinked away the last wisps of sleep from her mind, she could think of nothing – place or person – that could make her feel safer.

Here was a woman who had the power to topple stone pillars with a single swipe of her hand. This was the same woman whose power was so great, so awesome, no prison could contain her, whose plasma held such mysteries no scientist had yet been able to unlock its secrets. Shego, the world's undisputed champion of thieves, had the knowledge and skill of more than seventy styles of fighting – easily three times as many as Kim and she had time and again proven herself to be more than capable of taking on insurmountable odds with nothing more than her own body and mind.

And she was holding onto Kim's waist like a life preserver.

Kim smiled at the image and watched her partner's face while she slept. _So peaceful…nothing like when you're awake._ Kim reached out one arm to pull the taller woman closer, holding her around her shoulders. _If this is the only place you find peace like this, I'll keep this time safe for you. I swear it._

Leaning back against the arm of the deep scarlet couch, Kim sighed happily as she gently stroked one hand up and down Shego's leather-clad back. "God, I love this couch."

She glanced at the wall clock and was surprised to find that a decent seven hours had passed since she and Shego had shifted positions on the couch so they could lie side by side with Kim tucked in between the older woman and the back of the couch.

Shego hadn't quite been ready for sleep so she'd spent some time going through her box of treasures with Kim, sharing a couple memories from time to time.

Kim slowly realized that she must have fallen asleep at some point because she didn't remember Shego ever stopping in her quiet reminiscing and the box was now sitting closed on the coffee table. Shego probably realized that her companion had fallen asleep and decided to join her.

A slight tingle in the back of her mind drew Kim's attention from the flat, white box to the woman beside her just as a low mumble emerged from the sleeping dragon.

Kim leaned over and watched Shego's pale, smooth face as she slowly woke up. "So beautiful, my Goddess…" Her voice was barely even a whisper as she cast her mind out and felt how her partner's mind was waking, blossoming with activity like a flower opening to the morning's light.

Shego's arms tightened just a little around her waist, "Mm…" her head burrowed deeper into Kim's fiery-red mane. "Kimmie…"

Kim couldn't help but smile and bent down to whisper into her partner's ear. "Time to wake up, Shego." She shook her shoulders lightly, "We've got to get to work…"

Shego groaned quietly and released her grip on Kim to reach her arms up above her head and stretch luxuriously against Kim's side. "What kind of work," she asked without opening her eyes. "I thought we agreed to a day off?"

Kim nodded slowly, "Yeah, but I'm rested and ready. Besides, the day's almost over now."

Shego chuckled under her breath. "You mean we slept through our day off? I haven't done that in years."

Kim smiled contently, "Do you need a few more hours?"

Shego moaned mournfully. "I'd like it but no – I don't need it." She finally opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of Kim's face so close to hers. "So, what'd you have in mind?"

Kim followed Shego's lead and stretched lazily, feeling her muscles loosening and warming up from their sleep. "I was thinking we could really use more information about what Global Just ice has been up to, so why don't we drop by Doctor Director's?"

Shego slowly sat up and swung her legs off the couch so she could sit with her back leaning on Kim's hips and pinning her to the couch. "Now that's an idea."

"Nice," Kim stifled a yawn, "Well, I don't know about you, but I could use a shower."

"Ooh," Shego grinned, "That's an even better idea." She ran her gloved fingers down Kim's soft, toned arms to take her by the hand. "So – to work?"

Kim made a small noise of protest. "Unfortunately."

Shego looked down at Kim, smiling softly. "Man, I just love this couch."

Kim giggled, "Yeah I know – it's the greatest isn't it?"

"Who needs a bed?" Shego continued, "I'll sleep on this thing with you every night."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

Shego grinned, "Anyplace where we're side by side is comfy enough for me." A strange look crossed the thief's face, "And was that the sappiest thing I could ever have said?"

Kim couldn't hold back the soft smile that crossed her face. "My lips are sealed, your majesty." She even tossed a little salute into her proclamation. "Your Extreme bad-ass image is safe."

The older woman stood finally, pulling Kim with her and into her arms. "I was never worried for a second," she said, leading Kim out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom, "You want to know why?"

Kim extracted herself from her partner's embrace and smirked up at her. "Why?"

Shego's face mirrored Kim's, adopting a menacing glint. "You're delusional – who'd believe you?"

The redhead squawked in outrage. "Delusional? Why you-."

Shego stepped close, the gleam in her forest-green eyes brightening considerably, "Why else would the great Kim Possible turn to evil?"

Kim smiled despite herself, "Yeah, I must have been out of my mind. Quick," She fell into Shego's arms as if she had suddenly lost all her strength, swooning like an awestruck little girl. "Take me, Shego! Make me yours before my sanity returns!" She said it all in a desperate, breathless voice as she stared up into her girlfriend's shining eyes, surprising herself by keeping a straight face.

Shego chuckled lightly at that and stepped back, letting Kim fall to the floor with a _thud_, "Whoops – sorry Kimmie – guess I slipped."

"Shego!" Kim climbed to her feet, rubbing her backside. "That was rude…and not very fun at all."

"Aw, poor Kimmie," the thief grinned widely, "so is it too late for me to take you – make you mine?"

"Yes!" The heroine rubbed her shoulder with one hand and aimed a light swat at Shego's with the other. "It's way too late," She scowled at her partner.

Shego pouted cutely. "And I was so looking forward to it too; had the collar picked out and everything."

Kim groaned, trying to fight down her mildly excited curiosity at the idea before her arch foe caught the scent. "Shego," she started in an exasperated voice. "I'm going to start cooking some dinner for us because we've got to get going. If you're not showered and ready to go by the time the food's done, I'm going to make you regret it."

The green skinned villainess' eyes lit up and she grinned even more devilishly, "Oh – is that a promise?"

"_Shego!_"

* * *

Freshly fed, showered and disguised, Kim and Shego made their way down to the apartment's parking lot in relative silence.

Brushing mocha-skinned fingers through her brilliant white hair, Kim turned her bright blue eyes on her companion, smiling fondly at the sight of her partner.

Shego was all decked out in her "Teri" disguise, her exposed skin covered over by her careful application of her own special blend of makeup and dyes. She'd done something to her bodysuit to cover up each of the bright green patches on her outfit, transforming it to an anonymous, all-black leather jumpsuit. The thief was gently swinging a matching motorcycle helmet in one hand and holding the shoulder straps of her backpack in the other.

"So, what do you think we'll find there?" Kim asked the question softly, reluctant to disturb the comfortable silence that hung between them.

"Who knows?" Teri shrugged, "It could just be a thousand pictures of her and _William_."

The dark-skinned girl made a face. "That would be just too weird."

"You're telling me," the taller redhead nodded. "So, are you sure you want to do this whole Hardy boys thing?" She held the stairwell open for her partner to pass through. "We _could_ just stay in and relax…" She trailed off suggestively.

Kim laughed, slapping her friend on the shoulder playfully. "My goodness, Teri – It's a wonder you ever got anything done when you were working for…" she searched for the right word, "For the doctor."

"Well, my dear," Teri wrapped an arm around her disguised partner's shoulder and led her towards where her bike was parked. "When you've got a job like mine, a good ninety percent of your time is spent lying low and the other half of that is spent training to better yourself."

Kim smirked, "Only half?"

Teri shrugged, "okay – seventy percent for me." A quiet chuckle escaped her black-painted lips. "I had to keep up with _you_ of course." She let her smile linger for a few moments longer, "but still – a lot of our time is going to be spent relaxing or planning somewhere quiet. Just you wait; we'll have the time of our lives – especially after I show you a couple of my favourite hotspots."

Kim's smirk grew, "sun?"

The thief nodded. "Hope you packed some sunscreen, Princess."

"Oh, doesn't that sound exciting?"

The two super-powered thieves turned cautiously at the interruption to find an elderly woman sitting on a lawn chair just outside the patio of a ground-level apartment. "What I wouldn't give to be that young again."

Kim smiled in a way that made Teri groan inside. _Oh God, we're gonna talk to her, aren't we…_ "Hi there, Mrs Bayly."

"Good evening, Miss." The white-haired older woman laid her book down on her lap. "And who might you be?"

Teri tasted the sudden trace of fear and panic in her partner's mind and tensed, ready to step in if she was needed. The emotion faded quite quickly, however. "Sophia," Kim offered smoothly, "I don't think we've met, but my friend lives in the same building."

The woman's dark brown eyes smiled brightly, comfortingly. "Oh, so you aren't the new couple that's moved in on the fifth floor?"

"No," _Sophia_ shook her head lightly, "We just came down from visiting Kim Possible on the sixth."

"Kim Possible? That's nice," Mrs Bayly smiled up at them from her chair. "She's such a sweet young lady." She glanced up at the apartment balconies above her. "She seems a bit sad, but it's good to know she has friends like you."

Feeling frisky, Teri raised her hands defensively, "Whoa there, Mrs B," she smirked a ghostly smile at the face the other woman made at the nickname. "We're not friends, I just know her through…Sophia." Teri's smile became a little more genuine as the name slid between her lips. _Nice...good choice, Kimmie…_

Taken aback by the taller redhead's outburst, Mrs Bayly stared up at her searchingly. But instead of reacting in anger like Teri had expected, the woman just canted her head to one side and turned her attention on her dark companion. "Watch out, Sophia. I do believe your lover has designs on your young friend."

Teri choked in shock and stared open-mouthed at the small, old woman.

The grinning elderly woman just smiled all the wider, "close your mouth dear, it's rude to stare like that."

Sophia giggled, "Mrs Bayly, how did-?"

Thin, strong hands waved off the question, "oh, piffle, Sophia – call me Karen. 'Mrs Bayly' makes me feel old." A sharp elbow dug into Teri's side before she could retort. "And don't you worry about your lady friend; I've met worse people in my day."

Teri's jaw finally unlocked. "How did you know?"

Karen laughed deeply from her heart. "I'm old, my dear – not stupid." She paused and frowned disapprovingly as Sophia took a seat on the grass. "You'll stain those lovely white pants." The dark woman shrugged without answering, smiling as though she hadn't a care in the world. "Oh well, I try…But, my dear Sophia," Karen leaned forward in her chair, eyes shining with a mischievous spark, "when you've been around people as long as an old bag like me, you get to learn a few things about them." She looked slowly between Teri and Sophia, "and I'd have to be blind long, long before I'd miss the Love that you two have for each other. It's in the way you stand, the way you speak; it's in everything you do…" Then she pointed an accusing finger squarely at Teri's chest, a fiery inferno burning in her eyes. "And _you'd_ be making the worst mistake of your life if you tossed that away for some fling with any other girl. So smarten up."

Teri glanced down at Sophia, grinning widely. "Yes ma'am." She remained standing as she took in her girlfriend's relaxed pose on the grass. "Say," she turned back to their new acquaintance, "you're taking this rather well, Mrs B." She glanced down at something. "Aren't people like us against your, uh…" she trailed off uncertainly, her gaze shifting downward once more.

Karen followed Teri's furtive, not-so-subtle glances to a small plain wood cross that hung around her neck on a silver chain. "Ah," she smiled slyly up at the redhead, her eyes sparkling. "I see. Is this the part where I tell you that you're both vile, evil creatures who will burn in Hell for all eternity because of who you are sharing your lives with?" At Sophia's panicked, terrified look, the older woman simply laughed again. "Well, you'll be waiting a long time before you hear that from me. I know what love is, dears, and I know that it is never something to abhor or condemn." She looked between them again before continuing, that same smile still planted firmly upon her face. "I see in you two the same thing that I saw in Mr Bayly's eyes all his life. I see love, devotion, loyalty…nothing different from what I felt for my husband. What you feel for each other is the real thing; who am I to condemn it?" Her smile remained and she nodded her head slowly, "whether it's right or not, well – I'll leave _that_ between you and God."

Sophia smiled and looked up at her redheaded partner, "thanks." She turned back to the elderly woman as she climbed to her feet, dusting off her pants, "we really appreciate it."

Karen nodded, beaming up at the two younger women. "Oh, run along you two – enjoy young love while you can." She chuckled lightly, "and leave the elderly to their retirement. And tell your friend Kim Possible that she should come down to my place for tea sometime."

"I'll make sure to do that, Karen." Sophia promised, smiling thinly.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Teri snorted, amused.

"And you," the older woman jabbed her finger at Teri once more. "I think you have all the love you could ever want in this beauty right here, so you stay away from that Kim Possible."

Teri smirked, "yes ma'am." She turned away and started for her bike.

"Goodnight, Karen." Sophia began to follow her girlfriend.

"Run along, Sophia." Karen lifted her book from her lap, muttering her thoughts aloud in a quiet, pensive voice. "What I wouldn't give to be young again…"

"So," Teri swung her leg over the _Ghost_ and held out her black leather back to her companion. "Sophia?"

"Shut up," dark blue eyes narrowed. "I kinda like it."

Teri pulled her helmet on after Sophia had taken the bag off her hands. "That woman was a little creepy."

Sophia glanced back at the woman who had just gotten lost between the pages of her thick book. "Mrs Bayly? She's harmless. She just has an odd understanding of people. I like her."

"Yeah," Teri fired up the bright green machine "You like your elderly, creepy old woman?" She smirked behind her helmet's reflective faceplate. She moved the bike forward:

"Me too."

* * *

"You know what, Sophia?"

The snow-haired woman glanced up from where she was crouched by the doorknob. "Yeah?"

"This is getting to be really tiresome." Green eyes bored into the white door with an immolating intensity that just grew with every moment the stubborn barrier refused to move aside for the two thieves. "I mean – I'm all for breaking and entering, but a girl's got to find an easy door every once in a while."

Sophia mimicked her partner's fiery-eyed glare at the door, sighing in frustration. "Yeah, really." She looked back down at the broken key-head lying in her palm. "Betty could have at least warned us that her house key was weak in the middle."

Teri reached out and ran the pad of her gloved thumb over the sharp point of the key fragment that was protruding from the keyhole. "I see you don't know your own strength."

Sophia giggled quietly at her partner's comment. "I doubt that. I'm no stronger than you, you know that." She turned a thin, little smile on the tall redhead beside her. "I've seen you punch through some really strong things before – which, by the way…" she trailed off uncertainly, turning back to stare down at the snapped key head in her hand.

"I wouldn't think too hard about it if I were you." Teri waved the coming question off casually. "I asked myself the same thing almost every night I was working for him and, to tell you the truth, I still don't know why I was holding back with you. I guess," she stared down at her almleti-lined gloves as she delved deeper into her most recent thought. "I guess, on some level…maybe I always knew the truth – that you had nothing to do with my accident. Maybe somehow I always knew that you meant something more to me…or that you could if I ever let myself go with it."

Sophia lifted her gaze up to Teri's blue-eyed face. "Well whatever it was, it's all in the past now so let's deal with the present." She looked back over at the door. "So, are we stuck?"

Teri smirked for a moment, "You're still new at this I see," she clucked her tongue quietly and stepped over to the long, sliding window that stood to one side of the door, displaying a small but functional kitchen. "You just have to know where to look." Pressing her hand against the sideways-sliding windowpane, Teri pushed and the panel slid to one side along its track and opened a pathway into the building. "See?" Without waiting for the surprised super-heroine impersonator to say a word, the older thief pulled herself in through the window.

Sophia followed mutely, finding herself standing in the blandly-painted kitchen. "Okay," she finally managed, "what just happened? How did you do that?"

Smiling pleasantly, Teri moved back over to the window and touched a wide metal clip that hung over the edge of the open windowpane, about halfway up. "These windows can be tricky, because sometimes they might look closed," she slid the panel across the frame, closing the window. "But they're not closed at all." As a demonstration, Teri slid the window open once more without having to unlatch it. "See? For windows like this to actually close securely, the clip has to latch onto the frame here." She closed the window again, this time pushing it hard enough so the clip locked onto the edge of the frame with a clearly audible _click_.

Sophia nodded, easily absorbing the impromptu lesson. "So…just our luck?"

"You take what you can get in this game, Princess." Teri pulled absently on the wrists of her gloves, making sure they were still completely covering her hands. "Now, let's go see what Betty has on our lovely Global peacekeeping vultures."

Sophia giggled softly at that and ran a hand through her hair, trying out something new. As her fingers ran through her lightning-white tresses, she swiftly slid the long locks through the transition to water and back, gathering up into her hand the white ink she'd embedded within her own body the night before. A second later, her hair was once again as red as it had ever been and Kim slipped the rest of her body through to her water form. While watching the amused smirk on her partner's face, Kim gathered up the rest of the ink in her body, moving it all to recreate the tattoos she'd drawn on her back earlier the previous evening.

Finally, in Sophia's place stood a flesh-and-blood Kimberly Anne Possible.

Teri smiled as she leaned back against the counter. "Have I ever told you how much I love watching you do that?" She reached up to pop out her pale blue contacts with one hand while slipping a small lens case out of her inner pocket with the other. She didn't even flinch at the mild pain as she slipped the coloured lenses free to reveal her deep, dark forest-green eyes.

Kim offered a lopsided, sardonic grin as Shego slipped the case back into her bodysuit. "I haven't heard you say it quite like that," she replied lightly, "but I do know I look cooler than you do when we're taking our disguises off."

"That you do," Shego drew one finger down her cheek gently, nodding her satisfaction when the makeup she'd applied remained firmly in place, protected by the last layer that she'd forgone when she'd left Kim's apartment the first time to offer her proposition to the former heroine. "Now, let's be nosy thieves, huh?"

After a beaming nod from the younger woman, the pair of criminals made their way out of the kitchen to search the rest of the townhouse.

They didn't have to search far.

"Do you think Betty knew we'd be coming?" Shego stared down at the setup on the large dining table.

Kim rolled her eyes and picked a folder off the stack. "She's the one who told us it would be here, Shego."

"Oh yeah," the older woman nodded, confused. "I forgot about that one." She moved around the room and quietly opened the laptop that sat there at the head of the dark wood table. "It's not even turned off. How stupid is she?" Shego hit a key to disrupt the screensaver. "And no password? I mean, come on – she used to be the leader of Global Justice? Anyone could come in here and just-."

"Would you quit complaining?" Kim slid into the chair that faced the laptop. "It saves us time." Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the pale blue Kimmunicator she'd been given by the former GJ leader and opened a compartment in the back, revealing a small, well-organized collection of wires. "Well, I'll give Wade points for simplicity." She pulled out the appropriate wires and started hooking her _Scorpio_ Kimmunicator up to Dr Director's laptop.

"Uh, Kimmie?" Shego stepped aside to give the redhead more access to the computer. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Kim made an affirmative noise without pausing her work. "At least," she leaned back, "I'm pretty sure. Wade left a short instructional video in his tutorial for the Centurion suit." She turned to her partner in crime. "In any case, Wade's gadgets have always been ferociously user-friendly, so we'll see how it works when it loads up."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Shego turned away quickly. "While you set yourself up, I'm going to snoop around a little more." She started to walk out of the room.

"Don't steal anything," Kim quipped.

A quiet alarmingly pleasant chuckle was the thief's only response.

"Now," Kim powered up the _Scorpio_ device. "Let's see what Global Justice has been up to."

* * *

By the time Shego returned to the dining table, a small book open in one hand, Kim had set Wade's premier hacking program on Global Justice's mainframe, and it was two thirds finished breaking through.

"Wow, you're _still_ not in?" Shego dropped herself into a chair beside Kim. "Nerdlinger's slipping."

Kim glared mildly at her partner. "_Wade_," she corrected, "pretty much built GJ's new system, so I trust anything he says can break in."

"Well, couldn't he have programmed it to break in faster?"

"My," Kim smirked over at Shego, "Aren't we just crazy impatient? I thought thieves needed to have at least a little patience; what happened to yours?"

"This annoying, painfully gorgeous teen heroine trained it out of me a few years back." Shego breathed a heavily dramatic sigh. "She never made me wait for a fight." A strangely peaceful aura settled on the super-thief as she levelled her eyes calmly on Kim.

"Oh really?" Kim sat back, crossing her legs as she waited for _Scorpio_ to sneak its way through GJ's labyrinthine firewalls. "Did this heroine do anything else for you?" She smiled at Shego, carefully letting a small measure of her emotions leak out for the empath to sense.

Shego inhaled deeply, taking in the irresistible bouquet. "She kept me alive," her eyes closed lightly, "forced me to fight to earn every moment of my freedom." She grinned at the memories, no longer ashamed at the pleasure she'd derived from every dance she'd shared with the girl beside her. "And I wasted a long time accusing her of something she didn't do," a sad look overcame her pale features.

"Hey," Kim didn't let her smile fall as she rested a hand on her partner's shoulder. "I'm sure she forgives you – it wasn't your fault you were tricked into hating her."

"That's true enough, I suppose." Shego shrugged and the motion seemed to draw her attention down to the book in her hand. "Hey," she set it on the table in front of Kim. "Check this out, Pumpkin."

Kim looked over to see that Shego had found a thin photo album with only a few dozen of the pages filled with photos. "Where'd you find this?"

Shego motioned to the ceiling, "upstairs. I found it on Betty's bedside table. Pretty sparse decorations in there if you ask me… It was open to this page," she reached out and flipped the book towards the front before Kim's wide eyes.

Wordlessly, the redhead took the album from her partner's gloved hands and looked over the front page with wide, searching eyes. It was a group picture:

Kim and Ron were standing front and centre with Dr Director on Kim's left and then Will Du beside her. After that were a few more men and women in the standard issue blue GJ jumpsuits and finally Dr James Possible – Kim's dad. On Ron's left shoulder, between his and Kim's heads, stood a waving Rufus with the short stocky Wade standing on the boys other side. Farther along the line stood Ron's parents with a proudly beaming Dr Anna Possible, Kim's Mom. Just behind Kim and between her and Dr Director there was a tall, statuesque blonde woman with an even taller, stone-faced man on her right and three large, barrel-chested men in bright blue and yellow uniforms on her left. Beside Oliver, dwarfed by the robotic boyfriend 's sheer size stood a short, nervous and awkward looking moustached man with large, round glasses and a tan explorer's hat held tightly between his hands at about chest height.

Farther along after Professor Akari – the bugman – stood another man in a brown suit and bowtie and a similar pair of thick, round glasses and a short white beard and moustache. Farther along on the other side of the striking blonde stood another trio of more casually dressed men, Professors Ramesh, Chen, and Doctor Freeman. And finally, lined up at the very front of the picture were Jim and Tim possible, a short, excited, blue-eyed brunette girl, and a cautious, uncomfortable-looking girl with short blonde hair and narrowed, stoic eyes.

After a few minutes, Shego nudged her on the shoulder to get her attention. "So, who are they all?"

Kim handed the book back and turned once more to the laptop on the table. "It was a picture we took the day I retired. They threw this huge party at our house without telling me until I got home from school." A slow, wistful smile spread across the redhead's face as she thought back through the years. "My Mom and Dr Director got together and invited everyone they could think of who I might like to be there – all these people from past missions and good friends I'd kept in touch with. I think it was Dad who suggested the group picture, though I think most everyone had left by then. I didn't know Dr Director got a copy." She sighed at the slow progress of Wade's _Scorpio_ system but turned back to start pointing around the photograph. "There's Doctor Vivian Porter – she's a robotics genius who built Oliver as well as an AI mars Lander. And these two went to school with my Dad and Drakken. Oh – and _here's_ Team Impossible," she circled a group with her finger. "They tried to force me to retire because they were losing money to me."

Shego raised an eyebrow, "but you didn't charge."

"I _know_," Kim tapped Dash Demahn on his face, "but they wouldn't listen – they said it had something to do with cutting into profit. Wade set them straight though," she smiled, "I think they've been a little scared of him ever since."

The tall thief let out a short laugh, "Yeah, I'll bet. That boy has some slick skills, despite his isolationist syndrome."

"He doesn't have any syndrome, Shego." Kim shook her head at her partner's remark and checked once more on _Scorpio's_ progress. _95 percent_. "We're almost in."

"Cool," was all Shego said as she continued studying the photo album in her hands. "You know," she flipped slowly through a few pages, "while we were having lunch with Betty and Howdy Doody, I got to thinking about your boy genius and his deal with GJ."

"_You _have an idea," Kim turned with a smile just as the _Scorpio_ software broke through the last of Global Justice's defences. "I'll bet it doesn't beat mine, though."

"What – the 'kidnap famous people' play? Please," Shego waved one gloved hand dismissively, "I was thinking about looking up any freelancers that might have escaped the big crunch. We could use some helpful and specialized skills."

"Hm," Kim rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "I was under the impression that you were a one-woman-army kind of girl."

A smirk was the taller woman's response. "Stealing from a worldwide organization is one thing, Kimmie; declaring war on them is something else entirely. If we want to win this, we're going to have to be smart about it, and no way are we going to take down Global or _Pisces_ on our own – not without some major league help." She waved one hand vaguely, her smirk developing an evil gleam. "Of course, I'll want to keep the best parts for us – you and me, but we can play nice with the other kids, can't we?"

"I know _I _can," Kim turned back to the computer, "but can you?" She didn't see the indignant, shocked expression that split Shego's face, but she felt the rush of emotions and thoughts flow over her like a wave, breaking harmlessly against the shore of her mind. "Alright. We're in, what do we want to look at?"

"How about," Shego leaned over Kim's shoulder, "I have an idea: why don't I get my revenge for that line _you_ just used?"

Kim grinned and digging back through her memory to find something – anything – to use against her former arch-foe. "Oh, I don't think you'll hurt me – not when I can do _this_."

Shego instinctively closed her eyes tightly and turned away, thinking back to one of the times she'd snuck into Bueno Nacho to do a little recon on Kim Possible and the wonder dork. That one time had certainly been an experience for her. She'd had the misfortune of being almost directly in Kim's line of sight, much to the cheerleader's ignorance.

* * *

**(((Flashback)))**

"_Teri Nordham" had just taken her seat with a hablamos salad when she overheard the Do-gooder Duo locked in a slightly heated discussion – something to do with a family dinner. Kim wanted an excuse to not go but Ron wouldn't do it; he was all for the "family unity" and community that Teri had discarded so many years ago. It was something she'd stopped believing in ever since…_

"_Oh, Ron – please?" Teri's eyes widened beneath the raised hood of her black sweater as she watched the teen heroine's face swiftly and smoothly transform into something more closely resembling a heartbroken, starving and abused pet than a human girl. Her bright emerald eyes grew wide and liquid, as though the slightest ill word or false step would set off a watery meltdown of tears, and the girl's lower lip jutted out sadly, pleadingly, her cheeks puffing out a little bit as slight, spasmodic tremors quivered through the thin strip of flesh. And, just to add to the effect, Kim's head tilted a little to the right, making the expression irresistibly cute and painfully convincing at the same time._

_Sitting directly in the line of fire, Ron was clearly blinded by the raw power of the young Possible's secret weapon. "Oh – Gah!" He threw one arm up over his face while the other waved frantically over the table at his best friend. "My eyes! Alright – I'll do it, Kim. Just p-put that away!"_

_Within the span of a single heartbeat, Kim's puppy dog pout had disappeared and been completely wiped from existence, replaced with a widely grinning, redheaded heroine._

_But Teri had seen the whole thing._

**(((End Flashback)))**

* * *

Even seated halfway across the restaurant, disguised from recognition, Shego hadn't been completely spared from the effect of Kim's powers of persuasion.

She could never for the life of her explain why it had happened, but Shego had actually found herself standing at the bottom of the driveway at the Possible home without really remembering how she got there. Severely shaken by the power behind that infernal pout, Shego had fled the scene and returned to Drakken's lair before she was caught.

So, here she was, knowing there was only one defence against such a weapon. Shego screwed her eyes shut and averted her face from her partner's overpowering gaze. "Sorry, Pumpkin, but your secret weapon's not going to work on me."

There was a quiet laugh from where the redhead had been sitting only moment's ago. "And who said the pout was the only thing I could do?"

Against her better judgement – and driven almost entirely by a curiosity she'd rarely before felt, Shego cracked one eye open to come face to face with…Kim Possible.

Entirely puppy dog pout-less.

"What the…?" Shego opened both her eyes to take in the completely and totally harmless expression. Striking though she was, the slight upward curve of Kim's lips was in no way compelling the thief to follow her girlfriend unquestioningly like a lemming. But Shego couldn't deny that there was a spark of mischief glimmering in those deep pools of emerald. "What are you up to?"

That's when she felt it.

It started as a change in the air that Shego had at first attributed to the townhouse's air conditioner. There was a slight sweetness in the air, a light floral scent that she could almost taste. Shego felt her heart flutter and jump a few times in her chest as the fragrance enveloped her. _Almost like…_

Shego's dark eyes widened and she locked her eyes on Kim's. "You wouldn't."

Kim smiled innocently, "Aw, but Shego – it's your favourite."

Shego stood and backed up a pace; _as if that will help me_. "No, Pumpkin – please. That's playing dirty."

"Oh, well – I guess that just means I've learned to be a villain." The redhead winked flirtatiously and grinned wildly. "Breathe deep, Shego…" Kim's eyes were laughing with pleasure and excitement as she dropped the defensive walls around her mind so fast it was as though they'd never been there in the first place.

Shego was prepared for the onslaught of her partner's scent-flavours, but the sheer scale and depth of the excitement slamming into and engulfing her like a crashing wave was beyond description. "Oh…" Shego's eyes closed involuntarily and she basked in the warm, sweet fragrance of lilies and dark chocolate even as she felt her mind being swept away in the current. "Mm," she felt her mind threatening to shut down from the assault on her senses as it was drowned in the myriad layers of Kim's projected emotions. She shivered as goosebumps broke out all along her arms and her legs trembled spasmodically as her knees became weak under the endless wave of irresistible emotion. "You do know," she managed to whisper through lightly panting breaths. "You know I'll get you back for this."

Kim's grin began to fade. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The villainess released a relieved sigh as she felt the flow ease and the walls of Kim's mind fell back into place, locking away all those wonderfully delicious emotions behind a secure fortress. "So, what were we talking about?"

Kim laughed quietly, nervously. "We were just about to dig through GJ's database?"

Shego smirked. "Okay, fine – I'll let you off the hook, this time." She took a mild amount of pleasure from the crestfallen look on the younger redhead's face. "But I'll get you next time."

Kim turned to the laptop without replying, moving the mouse around the screen uncertainly, unsure exactly what it was she was looking for. "Okay, let's see what we have here – there's a bunch of submenus…Administration, Finances, World Events…" Her brilliant emerald eyes flitted across the laptop's screen. "And isn't this just the most boring menu in the world?"

There was an entire section for missions and mission-related business, personnel – current and prospective, files on various people and organisations, an R&D department…and a quietly hidden _Pisces_ link at the bottom of the list. "Okay – we're in." Shego looked down at her partner in the chair. "Now what?"

Kim took her hands away from the keyboard. "I've got nothing – you?"

"Sure – shove over." Shego nudged the redhead in the shoulder with the back of one hand. "I've got an idea."

"Really?" Kim stood and moved to one side, sliding into the next chair over. "What have you got?"

Shego smirked and slid the mouse cursor over the _Missions_ link. "Why don't we check up on Stoppable and the Brat – see how the powers that be took their mission last night – this morning?"

Kim's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "You think they'd be filed already?"

Shego sat back and started scrolling down the list of names that appeared. "These people are businessmen, Pumpkin. They're _all_ about getting paperwork done fast. I'd be surprised if our little escapade at Redpath _didn't_ make it into the files yet." She whistled as the list kept on going. "Wow, they're a busy bunch over at GJ, aren't they?"

"Of course," Kim replied waving one hand flippantly, "there's all that _crime_ filling the streets." She smirked, "they've got to protect and serve and all that."

The taller woman couldn't help the lopsided grin that split her face. "Now, there's something else we can do while we're here. We should check out their crime files and see how much is real and how much is organized by _Pisces_."

Kim leaned back in her chair, smiling up at the ceiling. "I have the smartest girlfriend in the world."

"Damn right," the older thief made an appreciative noise, "and don't you forget it." She stopped scrolling through the list. "Finally – 'Stoppable and Brat'."

Kim looked over at the screen. "It says 'King', Shego."

"Oh, does it?" Shego studied the screen a second time, "so it does – fancy that." She spoke with an astonished tone. "I don't know why I didn't see it before…"

Kim laughed and rolled her eyes. "Why do you call her that anyway?"

Shego scoffed, "she's the typical American Princess."

A knowing smile lit up the redhead's eyes, creasing her cheeks as she gazed over at her partner. "Are you sure it doesn't have something to do with whatever it was she did to your house?"

The taller woman groaned, "Ah – she's just so infuriating!" She stopped scanning through Global Justice's database. "I was just relaxing in the sun in my Bermuda home when little miss all-that blew through my door with that overdone power-suit of hers and just decided then and there that she could take me down without backup." She chucked humourlessly, "I took her down a few pegs, but my house got demolished in the process."

Kim rested one hand on Shego's shoulder, her smile growing even more. "I'm sure she wasn't the only one who tore apart your house."

Shego sighed, considerably less agitated. "If she hadn't shown up all glowing with arrogance and attitude, my house's safety would never have been in question, so it's still her fault in my book."

"Oh," Kim nodded sagely, "I never said she was _completely_ innocent." She stepped closer to her partner, leaning her head on the taller woman's shoulder. "So, what have we got? What did Global Justice have to say about us?"

Shego scanned the page. "'Mission profile: confirmed breaking and entering. Location: Redpath Museum. Montreal, Canada. Suspect involvement of villain **Shego** – threat level extreme.' Well, it's nice to be appreciated." She read some more as she felt Kim's breath in her ear. "Let me see…'the Centurion Power armour issued to agent King was activated at 01:37 hours GMT -05:00. Deactivated at 01:41.' Way to go, Kimmie; you put her down in record time."

"Thank you," Kim bowed her head humbly, "You're too kind."

Shego smirked back over her shoulder before turning back to the laptop. "What else is there? Oh, here we are – the debrief." Rolling her eyes at her partner's curious expression, she explained patiently, "the meeting after the mission."

"Ah," Kim nodded slowly, "so what have they got to say?"

"I'm getting to that," Shego scanned through the file. "Here we are, 'In attendance: Agents Tara King and Ronald Stoppable, Director Philippe Sincoli, Assistant Director Daniel Murphy, Director of Personnel Douglas R. Cartil, and Doctor Alan Freidman.' A psychologist?" Shego wrinkled her nose at that, "That's just weird."

"Well, what does it say?"

"I'm _getting_ to that," Shego waved off her partner's concern. "Alright, let's see…'Debrief: Psychological profile – Ronald Stoppable.' Great, want to read up on your bosom buddy's head?"

Kim shrugged. "Sure, it might tell us how well Tara and Ron are covering what they know."

Shego scoffed and moved on down the list. "Stoppable knows Jack. He was unconscious before you and Brat got into your little tiff." Shego grinned, "Which by the way, was a nice display – very graceful." She chuckled as she felt the heat of Kim's blush on her exposed neck as well as smell the sun-warmed cedar of her pleasure at the open compliment. "Anyway, what if Stoppable did know about it all?" The older woman ran a hand through her altogether-too-short cherry-red hair as she used her other to open up the file marked: "Debrief: Psychological profile – Tara King". "I mean, sure I don't put much faith in his skills, but Stoppable's got plenty of heart. I can see that, so I know that he would never stand by and let GJ do what they're doing."

Kim frowned and closed her eyes, her anger and disgust batting gently at the edges of the empath's senses. "He would if he was being blackmailed."

Shego started, her eyes widening. "No kidding?" _Well, doy_ – she almost slapped herself. _That's the kind of weakness they would exploit, _"Who've they got on speed dial if Monkey-boy steps out of line?" _A hero's weakness._

"Tara," Kim replied, pulling over a chair to rest her legs. "They'll arrest Tara for something she hasn't even done." She sat with her head still leaning on her partner's shoulder. "Wade told me a little about it."

"He's just connected to everything isn't he?" Shego shook her head, amazed at the young genius' abilities. "But," she turned away from the computer, "Tara, huh? Why threaten her to get Stoppable to knuckle under – why not his family?"

Kim shrugged and Shego felt a burst of impulsive longing rush through the redhead's mind only seconds before a pair of arms slid around the middle of her body from behind and her chair shifted just a little as her partner squeezed herself in between her and the chair back. She smirked back over her shoulder at the emotionally fragrant young woman behind her, "enjoying yourself?"

Kim nodded, her chin settling back into the crook of the super-thief's neck. "Very much so, do you mind?"

Shego laughed quietly, reaching up to run her gloved fingers through Kim's fiery red tresses, "never in a million years, Princess." She sobered a little, "but how about this Stoppable thing – why would it work to threaten the _brat_ with a little jail time?"

Kim took a moment think about it before speaking in a low voice, clearly more interested in the feel of having her arms around her partner's abdomen. "Hm, well for one thing, it's probably something a little more severe than 'a little' jail time. I'll bet GJ's got a pretty serious case made up for her if they ever need to use it." She breathed in quietly, inhaling the scent of leather and Shego's lily shampoo. "And I guess it does kind of make sense to target the loved one that's easiest to get at, rather than the family that's outside their area of control."

"'Loved one'?" Shego turned a curious eye on the suddenly quite cuddly heroine on her shoulder. "What do you mean…" her eyes widened and then she burst out laughing a bare instant later, "what? Stoppable and the Brat? That's hilarious!"

"What's so funny?" Kim's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"It's just," Shego paused in her guffawing, "just so unlikely, like you and-."

"You?" Kim raised her eyebrows as she cut into Shego's words.

Shego thought about it, "yeah okay, maybe not so unlikely but still…I don't really see those two working as a couple."

"Well," Kim looked back at the computer. "You don't know her like he and I do; she's really a sweet girl. And, speaking of…" she motioned to the monitor. "Do you want to be nosy or not?"

The villainess' smile remained, "gee – you'd think with the way you're sitting, you'd want to do something soft and mushy."

Kim clucked her tongue quietly, "Shego, say it with me: '_romantic'_." She grinned at her partner's non-committal grunt. "Besides, this is plenty romantic enough for us," she tightened her arms around her lover's waist, "you, me, zero space between us…" she trailed off playfully, "highly classified files…"

Shego moved her own hands back to the computer, "you sweet talker, you."

* * *

**((( Reading )))**

Date: June 19 2005. 0240 hours.

Psychological evaluation – Agent D110, Tara King.

Alan Freidman, PhD.

I've just learned the most intriguing thing. Shego, designated as a first priority, extreme threat super-villain has finally resurfaced. Not only that, but she seems to have picked up a partner as well. Agent King says she wasn't able to get a clear view of subject _Shego-2_'s face, but they were most definitely female, as evidenced by Agent King's recognition of the second criminal's vocal mannerisms. Agent King describes a young woman with long black hair, a tanned complexion and tight, revealing clothes. This suggests an outgoing personality – unashamed, confident, and perhaps even fearless. King has also mentioned a tattoo on _Shego-2_'s upper left chest – a black _S_. This would appear to suggest that Shego's partner may in fact be more of an apprentice or student. Could she even be a successor in-training? Regardless, this tattoo also seems to indicate a level of attachment that is significant – certainly far more complex than a simple student and teacher relationship.

In addition, this apprentice's tattoo seems to provide evidence that she is – again – unashamed, confident… She does not care if anyone knows of her affiliation with Shego, criminal or otherwise. It is possible she doesn't understand the notion of disguising her criminal identity when she walks among everyday people or – once again – does not care what others may think of her. Whether this is due to a belief that Shego will protect her, should the need arise, or a confidence in her own abilities is unclear although, I suspect it is more likely to be the latter. It is inevitable that any apprentice Shego takes on would quickly develop a personality and skill set to emulate her own, and Shego's own personality is nothing short of self-assured, confident, and powerful.

Agent Stoppable's insight into this apprentice was of limited value, considering he was unconscious for the duration of her and King's altercation. He _did_ mention that the apprentice was wearing a black mask across her eyes, like a strip of cloth. Stoppable was also able to confirm the description made by Agent King – all except the hair colour. Stoppable confirmed the existence of the tattoo as well as the skin tone and wardrobe, but he described the apprentice's hair as a bright shade of red, "like fire". Stoppable also described a sense of familiarity with the apprentice, but could not elaborate any further on the subject. When questioned on the mask and stood by her original description of black hair. If Stoppable's description of the mask is indeed an accurate one, it would indicate that the apprentice shares a sense of playfulness with Shego as well as a dramatic flair that is more practical than many of the world's past villains. It is, however, impossible to determine the accuracy of agent Stoppable's description given the inaccuracy of his testimonies in the past.

Now, as for Agent King, I believe I can understand her more easily. She was perspiring lightly and displaying textbook signs of nervousness throughout the entire debriefing. Now, I cannot definitively conclude whether this was a first-time occurrence for King, considering I have only been with Global Justice for 2 years, but I have been to 249 briefings, debriefings, and general meetings where she has been in attendance. From that, I can state for the record that I have never before seen Tara King display this kind of textbook anxiety or hypertension. For any further conclusions to that effect, consult the reports from my brother and predecessor in this station, Doctor Gordon Freidman.

Any explanation for Agent King's abnormal behaviour is pure conjecture, but I feel myself compelled to at least make an attempt to answer the question of what could cause this behaviour. The first and foremost cause that comes to mind is, of course, that Agent King is lying. The further cause of her lying or her motivation for doing so remain a mystery, but if given the right equipment and sufficient uninterrupted time with King I believe I can draw the answers out of the ether. Unfortunately, I am told administering polygraph tests to our own employees can be…problematic at best – from a legal standpoint, that is. On the other hand, why would Agent King lie to us about the apprentice of Shego? She is clearly a criminal, as evidenced by her extremely effective assault of a Global Justice Operative.

Regardless, perhaps King is simply suffering from the after-effects of this most recent mission. I must point out that I have never attended a debriefing this soon after the actual mission was carried out. Besides, if I recall accurately, the last time King encountered Shego, a year before my time, her behaviour at the debriefing was – according to Dr G. Freidman's report – erratic to say the least. Depending upon how far the apprentice's training has progressed, it is entirely possible that she has become just as proficient as the widely known super-villain. Whether or not she possesses the same sense of morality with regard to killing remains to be seen.

Given the above assessment of Agent King's mental state after this most recent mission, it is my professional opinion that she is of sound mind and able to serve on the next mission assigned to her with all the competence and skill that has become her trademark in her experience with Global Justice. If her next mission – or any future missions – should involve contact with Shego or her apprentice, however, it is presently my suggestion that Agent King be allowed two or three days of paid leave immediately following the mission and its debriefing. Pending the routine post-mission fitness evaluation, I pronounce Agent Tara King ready and fit to return to duty.

Note: Schedule an optical evaluation for both Agents Stoppable and King at the earliest opportunity.

**(((End Reading)))**

* * *

Shego sat back against the warm body behind her. "This guy's good."

"Yeah he is," Kim nodded, her chin bumping against her companion's shoulder. "It's just too bad Tara's a good liar."

"And your boy Stoppable is unreliable enough to be doubted," Shego's thin smile was evident in her voice. "Nice job, Brat….she bought us some time."

"I guess," the redhead shrugged. "The longer it takes them to realize it's me, the better it is for both of us."

Shego glanced over her shoulder, curious about the sharp tang of disappointment in the air. "You don't sound very pleased with that."

"Well," Kim leaned away from Shego, resting herself against the chair's back and gazing up at the ceiling calmly, "I just – there's a part of me that _wants_ them to know it was me." She sighed softly, "but you're right. It's better if we can keep it quiet until we want them to know – it keeps them guessing."

"That's the wise thing to do, Pumpkin," Shego turned back to the laptop, which was still showing the psychologist's report. "On the other hand, it would be more of a challenge if everyone knew you were my '_apprentice_'. What do you say?"

Kim grinned, "I say we do this the smart way. We so can't afford to let my pride make this difficult."

The super-powered thief nodded, smiling, "Good answer." She then typed a couple commands into the laptop. "Now," she glanced back at Kim. "Where should we look next?"

Both Villain and Heroine started as a faint sound caught their attention, sitting up straighter and more alert.

_Sirens_.

Shego stood from the chair, careful to not topple her partner from her perch as she walked into the kitchen to study the view of the parking that was visible from the window. "Police car incoming, Kimmie – I think we had better pull a David Copperfield."

"You think?" Kim stood and joined her partner at the window. "They can't be coming here."

No sooner had she spoken then a single police cruiser pulled into the parking lot outside the townhouse, its lights flashing brightly but suddenly silent.

Shego turned a grim smile on Kim, "you were saying?" She whirled and dashed out of the kitchen. "I thought you said they couldn't trace this _Scorpion_ doodad." She waved her hand at the blue Kimmunicator on the table. "So much for techno-master's skills."

Kim sighed as she followed after her partner, "Shego, come on." She reached over to press the power button on the laptop, causing a hard stop. "Do you really think Global Justice would trust this to _one _police car if they knew they were being hacked?" She pulled the wires from the laptop and coiled them back into the _Scorpio_ device's casing, snapping it closed and sliding it into her pocket. "A neighbour probably saw us climb in through the window and called it in." Overturning the laptop, she whipped out a Swiss army knife and started unscrewing something off the bottom. "Now, was there anything upstairs that could link Dr Director to _Scorpio_ or even reveal the thing's existence?"

"No," Shego replied promptly, "just the photo album. And what are you doing?"

"I'm taking Dr Director's hard drive." Kim removed the last screw and pulled out the wide, flat component. "We don't have time to search through it and we might need any information she's managed to save on it." She slipped the hard drive into the smaller pocket of Shego's bag. "Plus, I don't think it would be good for it to fall into the hands of the police out there."

"Well, you have a point there," Shego handed the photo album to Kim and then held up a few folders from the stack on the other end of the table. "What about these – do we have any room for them?"

Kim dropped the album into the larger pocket and zipped the bag closed. "Sorry Shego. Not unless you want them rolled up, folded, or crushed. We'll just have to destroy them and hope that's all on the hard drive." Reaching out one hand, Kim rested her fingers lightly on the laptop for only a moment before it turned to water under her touch, collapsing to the table with a quiet rush of splashing.

Shego smirked at the display before turning to the papers in her hand. "Screw that," she opened the top folder and reached up with on hand to slid the zipper of her body suit from throat to navel. "There's no way in Hell we're going to dig through that whole thing for a few files. 'Financial records – 2004-05'. I'll keep that one," She set the folder down on a far corner of the table, well outside the slowly spreading puddle and beyond Kim's reach. "Hm, 'Agent files – Stoppable and King' – all yours." She tossed the file unceremoniously into Kim's puddle. "Mine…mine, yours, mine, yours…yours, yours, mine…"

As Shego rapidly read through and sorted the stack of folders, Kim turned away from the sight of all that skin revealed by the open zipper, swiftly transforming her blushing self to her basic water state. Once that was accomplished, it was simple for her to shift the colouring of her tattoos around and revert to flesh and bone as _Sophia_. "Are you almost finished?" She looked over her shoulder at the abrupt lack of engine noise outside, "we kind of have to get out of here."

Taking the much reduced stack of folders in one hand, Shego pulled her bodysuit open to reveal nothing but pale green skin and a solid black sports bra. "Yeah, yeah. Give me a second." She shoved the files around to sit neatly between her bare back and the leather of her suit, zipping the garment closed with a quick, practised movement. "Enjoy your free peek?" The villainess grinned deviously.

Deciding to ignore the jab at her modesty, Sophia held out one hand over the haphazard pile of folders and papers that Shego had discarded. "Are these garbage?" At Shego's quick nod, the papers vanished into a splashing pool of water. "Alright, we're out of here."

Shego smiled again, "yes, ma'am." She grabbed her helmet and headed for the front door. "Let's do this." She reached up to pull her alloy-lined gloves off.

Sophia's hand on her shoulder stilled her to inaction, "hold on, Shego – there are only two officers." She tilted her head to one side, her eyes closed lightly. "They don't know the bike's yours so they haven't reported its description or plate number yet." She looked over at Shego, her eyes now glowing a blinding white from between her closed eyelids. "We don't need to blow our cover yet."

Shego felt something happening to the air around them. _Kimmie, what are you up to?_ "I am _not_ walking out that door to get arrested, Pumpkin."

Sophia grinned as a pale white mist seemed to form around the two of them. "I never said we would give up, Shego. I'm just saying," she opened her shining eyes and placed her hand over Shego's. "You don't need to blow the door down with your Plasma; use your foot maybe?"

A laugh escaped Shego's lips as she felt the temperature drop a few degrees and the mist grow denser by the second. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

There was a sudden pounding on the front door. "Police! Come out or we're coming in!"

_Oh, what the Hell…_ Shego smirked and raised her voice. "Do you _boys_ have a warrant?"

It took a moment for the man on the other side to come up with a reply. "Are you the homeowner?"

Shego's smile only widened as she looked back and watched Sophia work her magic. "No."

"Um, do you know the homeowner?"

Shego started walking towards the door with a slow, predatory gait, "Not really."

The officer hesitated, clearly sensing something was off. "Uh, is the homeowner there?"

Shego glanced back again as Sophia stepped up behind her, her eyes blazing like lightning. "I can't say that she is."

There was another pause. "Did you enter the home by the window?"

Shego laughed as she felt a wind kick up, blowing Sophia's long snowy locks around her dark face. "I think I _do_ remember climbing in through the window, Officer."

"Then you're under arrest for breaking and entering. Come out with your hands on your head!" Officer no-brain pounded on the door again even as the growing wind rattled a few loose objects in the front hall.

'Ready Princess?' Shego felt the taste of mischief waft across her senses and a blast of cold, swirling air whip all around her at a frightening speed. "Whatever you say, Officer." She slid her helmet onto her head and reared back with one leg. 'Ready or not,' she projected.

'Here we come,' Sophia finished for her, drawing back her hands and gathering all the winds she'd summoned together into a tight, compact package. Then, she turned and shared a blazing-eyed grin with Shego:

'Let's rock, Shego.'

They struck as one.

* * *

"Hey, Barnes!"

"Yeah – What?" The two-metre tall police officer paused as he was about to pound on the door for what seemed like the thousandth time. "What is it, Kendris?"

_Whoa_, Police Sergeant Henry Kendris raised his eyebrows curiously. Whatever the two thieves inside had said to the huge former College linebacker had clearly irked the normally easy-going man beyond the edge of his tolerance if he was snapping so easily. "Whoa, ease up Barnes, I was just gonna ask if you think the bike is theirs?" Kendris brought a hand up to the back of his neck as he felt a few of the hairs suddenly begin to stand up on end. _What…?_

Before Officer Traci Barnes could reply, there was a deafening crash from inside the townhouse, like a thunderclap – and then the door exploded out into a dozen or more fragments with a far less jarring sound. Kendris caught the briefest glimpse of the two perpetrators they were after before everything went to Hell in a hand-basket.

Barnes was instantly obscured from view in a cloud of debris and blinding misty smoke. "What – _Uf!_" There was a sharp thump, a groan, and then the sound of a body flopping to the pavement of the front porch as Kendris drew his sidearm.

"Stop!" He ordered, holding his pistol in both hands and pointed at the ground, ready to rise given an appropriate target, "Hands on your head – _now!_"

"I got the first one," a muffled voice came from within the dense white cloud of fog. "You get to take the second, 'Phia!"

A low, feminine-sounding chuckle sounded from inside the cloud and Kendris felt a sharp jet of wind come flying straight at him, whipping his pistol from his hands as though his grip were nothing. "What was that?"

"Your worst nightmare," Kendris was shocked to see the mist rush out at him to envelope the entire parking lot and beyond, obscuring his vision almost completely and leaving him with only the half-metre or so around him that he could see. "Get to the bike, 'Ree."

"I'm way ahead of you," the bike Kendris had been standing beside suddenly roared to life.

"Stop!"

"Or you'll what?" A figure appeared in front of him, their face completely distorted and hidden by the all-encompassing mist. "You don't have your precious gun, and you'll have a time trying to take me down in hand-to-hand. I've taken on the best there is."

"Come on!" The voice came from the other thief, the muffled one – _Ree?_ "We've got to go!"

"Excuse me Officer, but it seems I don't have time to play." The fog-enshrouded figure vaulted over Kendris, hands bracing against his shoulders to land somewhere behind him. There was a sudden roar, a brief squeal of tires and then the motorcycle was gone.

Seconds later, so was the fog, pulling back and sweeping out of the parking lot like a comet's tail after the roaring machine.

Without hesitating, Kendris dashed over to where Barnes was just climbing up to his feet. "Barnes! Are you all right?" _What just happened?_

"Yeah," the giant of a man wiped the sleeve of his uniform across his face, smearing his bloody nose all across it. "Think we'll need backup, though." The two of them stared after the bike as it sped off down the street. Kendris nodded his agreement:

"Yeah, really."

* * *

'Hey – Kimmie?'

'Yeah?' Sophia tightened her grip around Shego's waist as they swung through a tight turn.

'I can't see where we're going – think you can drop your fog?'

'Sure thing,' Sophia reached back and searched around with one hand for the bike's licence plate. 'Mind if I liquefy your licence plate first?'

'Make it quick,' Sophia could sense a small amount of anxiety through their link. 'I think our luck's about to run out with the whole no-other-cars thing.'

'Right.' Shego's plate turned to water in Sophia's hand as she released her control over the fog through which they'd been riding.

Freed from her control, the small, tightly-packed mist abruptly blew off to the left with the wind, allowing the bright green _Ghost_ to shoot out like a bullet from a rifle, swerving to the right instantly to avoid the line of cars stopped at the red light.

'Think we can make it through?' Shego eyed the sparse cross-traffic.

'How good are your reflexes?' Sophia pulled herself in even tighter against her partner. 'I trust you, Shego.'

'Dammit,' Shego geared down and came to a stop with her front wheel on the line. 'We'll have cops on us soon enough. We don't need to cause any accidents quite yet.'

'Prudent,' Sophia commented. Sensing her partner's anxiousness, she grinned inside her helmet and laughed quietly. 'You'll get your excitement soon enough, Shego – I promise.'

A slight tremor ran through the shoulder under Sophia's helmet as Shego shared her amusement. 'I'd like a little excitement, but can you contain _yours_ a little?'

Sophia grinned even wider, 'What's the matter, Ree – afraid to live a little?' She laughed too, letting a few drops of her growing excitement slip past her mental barrier before locking it down again. 'Alright, I'll keep it down, but you're in for the full experience once we're somewhere safe.'

Shego revved the motorcycle's mutated engine as sirens started to register at the edges of their hearing. '"Ree"?' She seemed amused.

Sophia snorted, 'You got to call me "Phia".'

'I guess you have a point there.' Shego shot off the line as soon as the light turned green, followed light years behind by all the other cars that had been waiting there. A few more seconds back came a single police cruiser, its lights flashing and siren wailing impotently. 'Twenty bucks says it's the same pair of cop jocks that that barged in on our "us" time.'

Sophia grinned and reached out with her mind to the two officers in the screaming cruiser behind them. 'No bet – you'd win anyways.' She dipped a little deeper into the two minds. 'The big guy you took out is really pissed off, too.'

'Yeah, I'll bet.' Shego leaned into a lane change that almost scraped the paint off the bumper of the black pickup on their left. 'I'm actually surprised that he's awake to be so pissed. We hit him pretty hard.'

'Well, kudos to him for staying conscious; he'll probably have a monster headache pretty soon, though.' Shego turned to shoot down a street that intersected the boulevard. 'You are poetry in motion, Shego – never let it be said that you aren't.'

'Flatterer,' the thief waved casually at a second police cruiser that came roaring down from the opposing lane, swerving around to try to cut her off. 'Nice try, boys!' She followed the outside curve of the cruiser's turn, reaching out to tap her fingers against the passenger window as they zipped by. 'But you'll need to be a little faster than that to catch my _Ghost_!'

'Okay,' Sophia laughed at her partner's antics. 'We've got two cars on our tail now,' the second cruiser whirled around and fell in behind the first, keeping a constant bead on the two thieves on the motorcycle. 'Are you satisfied now?'

Shego tore through another intersection, cutting off a white limousine coming from one direction and a third police cruiser from the other. 'I won't be satisfied until there isn't a cop left on the island who isn't chasing us.'

Before Sophia could turn to see the third cruiser join in their merry chase, she noticed they were approaching a far busier intersection and they didn't appear to be slowing down. 'Shego?' She felt the excitement pouring out of the older thief's mind, 'I know you want your thrills, but we're coming up there pretty fast.'

'_LEAN!_' Shego downshifted for a second before throwing the bike into as tight a right turn as she could manage. With absolutely no warning, Sophia leaned with her partner, enduring the turn to come out following the very edge of the traffic with which they'd almost collided. 'Nicely done, Kimmie.' Shego was giving of some light vibes of relief – probably grateful they hadn't run headlong into all that traffic.

'Thank you,' Sophia grinned as she saw a fourth police car – this one a smaller, faster-looking model – come screaming in from a side street just up ahead. 'You're well on your way to reaching your goal – have you got a plan to lose them all?'

Shego laughed and swung the bike around the on-ramp for the highway, 'Nah. I'm leaving that part to you.'

'Okay…' Sophia leaned with Shego's turn again. 'We'll need a very large, open space.' She smirked, 'Since you can't seem to find your way through fog.'

'I'd like to see you do better,' Shego retorted, her mind bubbling with glee.

'I _can_ do better,' Sophia declared confidently. 'I'm a Possible. And besides, what's the use in being able to conjure your own fog if you can't find your way through it?'

'Will you ever cease to amaze me?' Shego's reply was amplified by the wonder in her mind. 'So, large and open, huh?' She paused to think about it. 'How about an airport?'

'Sounds perfect.'

'Alright then, let's hit it.' Shego smiled, plan in hand, and opened up the bike's Ferrari engine, widening their lead on the police at an alarming rate. 'And this might even convince them to call in a helicopter. Maybe even two.' She passed another motorcycle like it was standing still, and a slight twitch of the handlebars sent her flying past a bright red Corvette.

'You'll be wanting the next exit now.' Sophia tapped Shego's arm and pointed up ahead. 'Des Sources Boulevard.'

'Thanks, Mom.' Shego turned onto the exit, shedding a few drops of speed for the sake of better traction.

'Now, there's no need to be sarcastic with me,' Sophia admonished mock-seriously. 'Okay, the airport's coming up on our left if you want to crash a gate. Or, you could go all the way around to the main entrance.'

'Forget that,' Shego banked to cross the opposing line of traffic and crash through the gate. 'It's just paint anyway,' she gunned the bike for the blank expanse of chain-link fence. 'Here we go,' the experienced thief brushed her thumb against a small round pad on her handlebar, activating one of Dr Drakken's neat little toys.

'Shego – I don't think-.'

'No, we're doing it my way this time,' Shego approached the fence, aiming for what she probably hoped was a weak spot. 'Brace yourself, Pumpkin!'

'Oh boy,' Sophia tucked her head in behind her partner's shoulder. 'Don't get hurt, Shego.'

The _Ghost_ blew through the fence like it wasn't even there. The tough wire of the chain-link panelling flew off to either side of the bike as it fairly exploded under the impact.

Just as she was passing through the expanding cloud of iron fragments, Sophia heart and felt two shards come spinning her way, one ripping a shallow slash across her bared forearm and the other whipping around to carve deep into the upper left side of the bag on her back, slicing right through the leather and ripping Shego's bag open at the zipper, straight between the teeth and the upper edge of the bag's almleti inner lining.

Flinching from the sting in her arm, Sophia felt Shego's belongings shift inside the bag as the small tear widened into a sizeable hole in the upper corner of the bag. Then, an instant later, she felt something slide out the hole and she reacted without thinking, swinging around while keeping her right arm wrapped snugly around Shego's waist and snatching the heavy black armband they'd stolen right out of the air with her left before it could fly out of reach.

"_Gotcha!_" Twisting back around, Sophia slid the band onto her right arm and replaced her left around Shego's waist. 'Sorry.'

Shego turned her head a few degrees. 'What happened?'

'Your nifty little keepsake just decided to jump right out of your bag when you hit the fence.' Sophia glanced back at the fence they'd left behind, torn to shreds at that one spot as police cruisers spilled through the gap – six now.

'Do we have to go back?' Shego started to bank her bike around to the left.

'No, don't worry about it now,' The _Ghost_'s passenger tapped the armband on her arm against Shego's leather-encased abdomen. 'I caught it in time. By the way, what did you do? I don't think I've ever seen a fence break apart like that.'

Shego's pride and amusement drifted across Sophia's awareness briefly, 'that was nothing. Dr Dee came up with that toy years ago. He had some kind of egotistic name for it, but I don't remember. All I know is the one on the _Ghost _shoots out a beam of concentrated energy that's way outside the visible spectrum and it breaks down the molecular structure of any material within a second or two.'

Sophia perked up as she threw a pair of icicles behind them to pierce the right headlight and front left tire of the lead police car. It fishtailed from side to side for a moment before swerving off to one side to drop back a ways. 'I remember that,' she shook out a slight tingle in her right arm, too busy to try itching at it. 'Wasn't Jack Hench trying to auction off something like that? I think it was the year I retired, wasn't it?'

Shego bobbed her head, 'Yeah, Dr Dee was a little short on cash around payday. He sold the design off to Henchco but not the Patent. So, Jackie got his boys in R&D to improve on the original, figuring out how to get the thing to reverse its own effect, and he was able to re-patent it and auction it off.'

'I'll never figure out how villains work,' Sophia fired off another icicle, shattering the rear window of a parked bus just to one side of an eighth police cruiser that was approaching them head-on. 'Damn,' she coughed at the miss. 'You have the Seniors with their traditional approach, you had DNAmy, who just wanted to create the best living cuddle buddies in the world, and then you have Jack Hench and his pure-business approach. Then, there was Killigan – I think he just had a fixation with his golf reputation; I just never got it.' She coughed again, her entire chest shuddering briefly with the exertion.

'You okay there, Kimmie?'

Sophia nodded, reaching up with one hand to rub her throat lightly. 'Yeah, she tried again to shake out that tingle in her right arm. 'Yeah, just something in my throat.' She turned away and fired off three more icicles, none of which flew more than a few metres before dropping and shattering harmlessly on the pavement. 'What the…' She tried again, producing even less encouraging results. 'What's going on?'

'What is it?' Concern flowed so readily off of Shego's mind. 'You feel worried.'

'I can't aim.' Sophia tried one more time, but nothing came out this time – not a single ice crystal or water droplet. 'I can't even make ice now.'

'What?' Shego's steering twitched a little.

Sophia shook her right arm violently. The tingle in her arm had developed into a full-blown stinging sensation now. 'What – Ow!'

Unable to take it anymore, Shego spun the bike to the left to rocket down one of the runways of the airfield, her worry and confusion growing. 'Princess, now is _not the time _to be having glitches with your powers. We need to get out of here.'

A spotlight fell on them from above.

_Great_, Sophia turned away from her pain-wracked arm and looked up into the brilliant spot, unable to see around it to the source. 'Just what we need.' She coughed violently.

The helicopter was more than able to keep up with the _Ghost_, and the thunder of its rotor blades drowned out anything either rider could have said to the other, other than across their link.

"Yo, babes!"

Shego and Sophia turned to stare at each other for a split second, each sharing the same thought. _No way…_

But the rough, gravely voice persisted through the loudspeaker on the chopper. "Hey babes, that's one awesomely sweet ride, seriously!" There was a loud sigh, "But I'm an Officer of the law now, you know? You gotta pull over. Seriously."

'Tell me that's not who I think it is.' Shego looked up at the helicopter as she swung around onto another strip of asphalt. 'And what are you doing about getting us out of here and losing all the cops?'

Sophia felt as though her entire arm had caught on fire now and she was shaking her arm furiously to try and dispel the sensation. 'My powers aren't cooperating right now; I'll have to get back to you.' She closed her eyes a moment and tried to focus her powers. She was only trying to call up a thick fog now – something she had never had trouble doing five minutes earlier. She felt the power rising within her, remaining just beneath the surface and waiting to be called upon and used, but it kept dissipating uselessly every time she tried to draw it out. It was almost as if her it was all being redirected to…

The armband!

Sophia replaced her inflamed arm around her partner's waist so she could use her free hand to pull the black bracer off her arm. _Everything was fine before I put this stupid thing on._ 'Your armband is doing something to my powers.'

'_What_?'

As soon as her fingers closed around the supposedly harmless artefact, Sophia felt a strange tremor run through the thing and it shrank on itself, constricting around her arm with bruising force to become skin-tight and blocked from removal by her wrist and hand. 'Oh…crap.' _This can't be good…_

Even as that thought crossed her mind, Sophia felt the burning sensation subside from her arm, dying down to nothing.

"Hey! Babes! Are you gonna pull over or what? Seriously."

Sophia shook out the last remaining tingles and stingings from her arm before returning her attention to the matter at hand. 'When on Earth did Motor Ed quit crime?'

'I don't know, maybe he was only in it for the chance to meet you, _Red_.' Shego swerved around a pair of police cars. _How many did that make, now?_ 'It doesn't matter; can you do your mojo thing now?'

Sophia tried _again_ and sighed, 'No. This thing keeps draining me. I can't do anything, Shego.'

Suddenly, she gripped Shego tightly and buried her helmet into her shoulder as pain stabbed into her arm like a dozen knives, driving deep into her flesh all the way to the bone – maybe even through it.

'Kimmie?' Shego turned onto yet another long, empty stretch of runway, stubbornly ignoring the big lummox's annoying voice. 'What's wrong?'

'_Ow…_' Sophia held onto her arm as the artefact now began to glow along the lines of runes with a dark red, flickering light. 'It's…' She trailed off as she became aware of an odd pulling sensation in the armband. She felt as though all her powers were being drained from her and into the ancient artefact as the dull red glow grew brighter with every ounce of energy she lost. 'Shego…' Sophia felt so weak…

'Kimmie! Hold on…I'll get us….' The thief's thoughts grew quiet in Sophia's head.

_Shego!_

Now even her telepathy was gone.

By now, Sophia could barely think straight between the pain she was going through from the armband, the abrupt and hammering migraine she was developing from the massive power drain, and the noise of Motor Ed, the helicopter and the pursuing police sirens. Then, just when she didn't think it could get any more painful, a high pitched humming sound started blaring from the glowing accessory on her arm and the entire thing started burning with an intense, ice-cold, crimson light.

_What now?_ Sophia looked down just in time to see a bright line of blue light erupt from the armband, shooting out straight ahead, through Shego's back, through the _Ghost_'s console and way out in front of the bike, where it suddenly curled in on itself and spun around crazily to forma shimmering, burning…_hole_.

That was the best the mocha-skinned thief could come up with to explain the phenomenon. It was just a _hole_. A hole in the space in front of them, a hundred or so metres ahead on the runway.

"What the Hell?" Shego turned the motorcycle to one side to avoid the flickering circle of swirling light and shadow, but it just followed her every move, remaining directly in front of her and growing closer. "What is that?"

"How should I know?" Sophia flexed the fingers of her right hand, wondering at the sudden absence of pain. _Was that whole experience just meant to create this thing?_ "Maybe it's a portal?" She still couldn't hear Shego's thoughts, however, so her powers must still have been drained. _God, I hope it's not permanent._

"Yeah, but to where?" Shego tried to fake the portal out – an absurd notion really – by drifting slowly to the right and then banking hard to the left, but the rippling circle moved too fast, anticipating her every move as if it was tied to the bike in some way – or to its passengers. "Kimmie, I'll break your face if this thing takes us into a war zone! I've seen those movies and that's right where we're going if we ride through that!"

Sophia smiled grimly, "if you're right, I know you won't hurt me because you'll need me." She looked around at their pursuers. "Besides which, do you think we have much of a choice right now?"

Shego stopped trying to evade the spinning portal and simply gunned her bike. "Out of the pot and into the frying pan."

"Welcome to our life, Shego." Sophia tightened her grip a little on her partner, "hey – at least it won't be dull."

"Crazy little optimist," Shego leaned down behind the windscreen of her bike as it pierced the vortex dead-center. "Here we go, Kimmie!"

Sophia felt an intense, body-jarring acceleration kick her in the behind as they rode into the portal and her vision filled with blinding, dazzling lights and stars. Her entire body felt as though it had been left behind on the airstrip as the _Ghost_ was sent rocketing forward into the spinning, roiling maelstrom of shifting and swirling light.

Then, in complete contrast to the manner of its appearance, the portal simply shrank down to a pinprick before blinking out of existence without so much as a sound or a single disturbance of air.

And they were gone.

* * *

**(((Epilogue)))**

Five minutes after the dramatic escape and forty-five kilometres off the island…

A fully-laden tanker truck sped down the highway, passing an innocuous signpost marking the strip of roadway as highway 40 before rolling on over the hill, the light from its taillights disappearing a few moments later and leaving the empty stretch of road enshrouded in the darkness of night.

After another few seconds, there was a clap like thunder and a bright blue hole appeared over the highway, suspended a few metres over the road.

From within the spinning portal there came a bright green motorcycle, shooting out of the vortex like a spit ball from a straw. The sleek, gleaming machine dropped to the paved road and its lone rider pushed the bike for all it was worth, their skin-tight, black leather bodysuit providing more than enough protection from the wind. A long-fingered, green gloved hand twitched on the handlebars to straighten out their course as their long, flowing, night-black hair streamed out behind them from beneath a jet black, opaque-faced helmet and floating out over a large, black leather backpack.

As the lime green bike slid off into the distance, a second bike came tearing through the portal an instant before it contracted closed with a sudden, watery sound.

This bike was painted a dark shade of red, somewhere between crimson and maroon, and it was trimmed with a shade of green that was far darker than the first bike. It was more of a dark forest shade, like evergreen.

And where the first had carried only one rider, this one bore two. The first one was small, probably no more than a metre or so tall – if even that. They were completely encased in a dark blue windbreaker and rain pants, with a solid black helmet covering their face and the very tips of their long, dark, blood-red hair flowing out the back. And behind the shorter rider with their dark blue-gloved hands wrapped around the handlebars rode a much taller figure in what appeared to be a leather bodysuit with a dramatic, rakish design in midnight blue and a green to match that same evergreen shade as the trim paint on the bike. Long, flame-red hair poured out from underneath a matching blue helmet to flutter behind the taller rider and above a blue-and-green leather bag in the same style as that of the figure riding the first bike.

The second bike soared out of the portal and landed squarely on the highway, rear wheel first, bouncing once before the driver regained control with a will of iron and sent the bike roaring after their partner.

Into the night.

**(((End)))**

* * *

…**Continued in ****Four Years – Out of the World**

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there we have it, folks – The End of this work of craziness. I suspect it might leave much to be desired, but rest assured, I have plans for two more sections to accompany this story. You'll just have to show…a little more patience than I've been asking of you. I have another project I've been wanting to complete for a few years now, but once that's done, I'll be back in this Universe with you good people.

Thank you all, and have a Great Year!!


	20. Urgent

Make sure to copy and paste the petition below to make it your own story... We need this petition going around through everyone who is an active member on FF.

The administrators are, as of June 4th, going to be taking down Fics that have lemons or have extreme violence. Now I don't know about you but I think that's stupid. There are many wonderful fics that only have one or two lemons in them yet the plot itself is awesome! You can't just take down a 100,000+ word fic just because it has a lemon in a chapter that is only 1000 words long. Now I urge you all to read the petition below, sign it, and repost this to your own fics. Hopefully if we make enough noise everything will return to normal. Thank you.

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many others, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply hasn't been added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be losing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

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